Naruto: Shinobi Wars
by Geor-sama
Summary: There are storm clouds swirling on the horizon, the nations are marching toward the inevitable...its been nearly three years and Uzumaki Naruto returns with the swell of the blood tide.
1. Authors Notes

**__**

:The Massive Author's Note:

Welcome to 'Naruto: Shinobi Wars' the sequel to 'Naruto: Altered History'.

This is a major epic fic, and it picks up roughly after a two/three year Time Skip, and though there is a side-project called 'Naruto: Time Skip' it is not needed to follow the plot of Shinobi Wars.

One thing I wish for you to keep in mind, is that there is no arguing with me on how a paticular character acts. There personalities are at the root the same as in 'Altered History', but they are older and they live a different life than the rest of us. Which leads us to relationships between characters can and will be complicated at times and you may, for some reason, find some to your distaste.

Ninja deal in death, they are assassains, no matter how 'honorable', they are paid to kill. As such, they have more important things to worry about than people finding some happiness before they die. So if your going to argue on this or yell about it I say: Tough!

Now, also, the fic pretty much will ignore all of Shippuden. So read this without expecting anything (well Akatsuki is around of course) plotwise showing up. I believe that's pretty much everything so, final thing:

Included below are several lists, use them any time you are lost, but note that the jutsu list is not complete. I can and will probably create more jutsu on the fly, but I'll (usually) leave a translation at the bottom of the chapter.

* * *

**:A Brief Pairings List:  
**Naruto/Ino  
Sasuke/Sakura  
Shino/Kekio-chan  
Anko/Kakashi  
Jiraiya/Tsunade**:Ranks:  
**_-Jonin-  
_Haruno Sakura  
Uchiha Sasuke  
Tenten  
Hyuga Neji  
Rock Lee  
Aburame Shino

_-Chunin-  
_Uzumaki Naruto  
Yamanka Ino  
Hyuga Hinata  
Nara Shakamaru  
Amichki Choji  
Inzuaka Kiba

**:Armor Terms of Interest:  
Men Yoroi:** literally means "face armour" a generic term for Tenzou's forehead protector.  
**Dô Maru:** A type of cuirass, or body armor, that has no hinges and opens under the right arm that Yugito wears.  
**Haidate:** A type of thigh protector, which in canon Sakura's split skirt could be a type of.  
**Hitaigane/Hitaiganemak:** Basically a Men Yoroi that covers only the forehead. Basically its the typical Ninja Forehead Protector, though I believe we use the term Hitaie.  
**Suneate:** A type of shin protector. Anko (and the ANBU style) wear what would be closely related to a Tsubo suneate.  
**Kote:** Bascially an armoured sleeve, which could be used to refer to the forearm protectors ANBU wear.  
**Sômen**: A full face mask that falls under the Men Yoroi catagory. So basically it would be the techinical name for ANBU, Hunter-nin, and Root (Ne) Face Masks.  
**Menpô:** Another type of Men Yoroi which covers the neck, lower half of the face and the nose. While made of cloth, Kakashi's face mask could probably be called this.  
**Hotoke Dô:** A chest protector in the same fashion as the chest protector ANBU wear.

-Random Amusing Thought-  
Everything that we've seen ninja wearing in some form or fashion, actually comes from Samurai Armor. So basically, we have ninja running around wearing bits and pieces of Samurai armor. Talk about funny!  
**:Country Names:  
**_-The Five Great Shinobi Countries-  
_**Hi No Kuni:** Fire Country  
**Mizu no Kuni:** Water Country  
**Kaminari no Kuni:** Lightning Country  
**Tsuchi no Kuni:** Earth Country  
**Kaze no Kuni:** Wind Country

_-Lower Shinobi Countries-  
_**Ame no Kuni:** Rain Country  
**Taki no Kuni:** Waterfall Country  
**Kusa no Kuni:** Grass Country  
**Ta no Kuni:** Rice Field Country  
**Yuki no Kuni:** Snow Country  
**Kuma no Kuni**: Bear Country

_-Other Countries-  
_**Nami no Kuni**: Wave Country  
**Cha no Kuni: **Tea Country  
**Yama no Kuni:** Mountain Country  
**Kawa no Kuni:** River Country  
**Takumi no Kuni:** Craftsman Country  
**Numa no Kuni:** Marsh Country  
**Ishi no Kuni:** Stone Country  
**Tori no Kuni:** Bird Country  
**Umi no Kuni: **Sea Country  
**Uzu no Kuni:** Whirlpool Country  
**Kiba no Kuni:** Fang Country  
**Tsume no Kuni:** Claw Country  
**Tsuki no Kuni:** Moon Country  
**Tani no Kuni:** Valley Country  
**Mori no Kuni:** Forest Country

_-Special Countries or Areas-  
_**Okayama Shima:** Hill Mountain Island  
**Yasei no Kuniguni: **Wild Countries  
**Jakunen Riku:** Desolate Land  
**Ikazuchi no Kuni:** Thunder Country  
**Haiotoshi:** Ash Pit

**:Hidden Villages:  
Kirigakure no sato (Kiri):** Hidden Mist Village  
**Kumogakure no sato (Kumo): **Hidden Cloud Village  
**Iwagakure no sato (Iwa):** Hidden Rock Village  
**Konohagakure no sato (Konoha):** Hidden Leaf Village  
**Sunagakure no sato (Suna):** Hidden Sand Village  
**Amegakure no sato (Ame):** Hidden Rain Village  
**Takigakure no Sato (Taki):** Hidden Waterfall Village  
**Kusagakure No Sato (Kusa):** Hidden Grass Village  
**Otogakure No Sato (Oto):** Hidden Sound Village  
**Hoshigakure no sato (Hoshi):** Hidden Star Village  
**Yukigakure no sato (Yuki):** Hidden Snow Village

**:Last Note on Countries and Areas:  
**Yes, some are names from filler countries, but I needed countries to fill in the world map, however they are not the same as in the fillers and not many will even make an apparence. Others I created and appear only in Shinobi Wars. If you wish to see exactly where each country is located, please refer to the world map loacted on my website. It will be labled AH/SW World Map.  
**:Jutsu:  
**_-Taijutsu Styles-  
_**Juken Ryuu:** Gentle Fist Style  
**_-Amatsuyanagi Ryuu:_** Heavenly Willow Style  
**Gouken Ryuu:** Strong Fist Style  
**Hebi Ryuu:** Snake Style  
**Gama Ryuu:** Toad Style  
**Namekuji Ryuu:** Slug Style  
**Konran-do:** Way of Chaos

_-Ninjutsu-  
_**Asshuku no Jutsu:** Compressed Air Technique  
**Bakuretsu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu:** Exploding Shadow Clones  
**Boufuu no Jutsu:** Windstorm Technique  
**Chakra Jirai no Jutsu:** Chakra Land Mine  
**Chidori:** One Thousand Birds  
**Dai Kamaitachi no Jutsu:** Great Cutting Whirlwind Technique  
**Furui Kujo:** Aged Destruction Technique  
**Fūton: Rasengan:** Wind Release: Spiraling Sphere  
**Fūton: Daitoppa:** Wind Release: Great Breakthrough  
**Fūton: Tatsu no Ooshigoto:** Dragon's Big Job  
**Fuuka Houin:** Fire Sealing Method  
**Fuuja Houin:** Evil Sealing Method  
**Gijiato no Jutsu:** False Tracks Technique  
**Gogyou Fuuin:** Five Element Seal  
**Gogyou Kaiin:** Five Element Unseal  
**Harem no Jutsu: **Harem Technique  
**Ibuki no Kazeryu:** Breath of the Wind Dragon  
**Ichijin no Jutsu:** Gust of Wind  
**Igai Kaze Chouyaku: **An Unexpected Wind Leap  
**Jinrai no Jutsu:** Thunderclap  
**Joukyuu Kage Bunshin:** Advanced Level Shadow Clone  
**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu:** Shadow Clone Technique  
**Kage Shuriken no Jutsu:** Shadow Shuriken Technique  
**Kage Kunai no Jutsu:** Shadow Kunai Technique  
**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu:** Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique  
**Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu:** Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique  
**Katon: Housenka no Jutsu: **Mythical Fire Phoenix Technique  
**Katon: Karyu Endan:** Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Missile  
**Kamaitachi no Jutsu:** Cutting Whirlwind Technique  
**Kamaitachi:** Cut Caused By Whirlwind (Not the same as Temari's)  
**Kamikaze no Yabia:** Blade of Divine Wind  
**Kanashibari no Jutsu:** Paralyzing Technique  
**Kazegan (aka Fūton: Rasengan): **Wind Sphere  
**Kaze Chouyaku: **Wind Leap  
**Kaze Toku:** Wind Shield  
**Kaze no Yaiba:** Blade of Wind  
**Kaze no Yari:** Spear of Wind  
**Kazeryudan no Jutsu:** Wind Dragon Technique  
**Kawarimi no Jutsu:** Body Switch  
**Kinobori no Waza:** Act of Tree Climbing  
**Konpasu no Jutsu:** Compass Technique  
**Konoha no Ikaa no Jutsu:** House of Leaves Tecnique  
**Konpasu no Jutsu:** Compass Technique  
**Kuchiyoise no Jutsu:** Summoning Technique  
**Kuiton: Senpu no Koku Yoh:** Grass Release: Whirlwind of Cutting Leaves  
**Nadare no Jutsu: **Avalanche Technique  
**Nibai Teikiatsu Genkotsu:** Double Cyclone Fist  
**Oodama Rasengan: **Great Ball Spiraling Sphere  
**Rasengan:** Spiraling Sphere  
**Rasenken:** Spiraling Blades  
**Rasen-Shuriken: **Spirailing Shuriken  
**Sakuran no Jutsu:** Disraction Technique  
**Sexy no Jutsu: **Sexy Technique  
**Sexy no Jutsu: Varation **Sexy Technique**: **Varation  
**Sharingan Soufuusha Sannotachi:** Sharingan Windmill Triple Blade  
**Shunshin no Jutsu:** Body Flicker  
**Suimen Hokou no Waza:** Act of Water Surface Walking  
**Suirou no Jutsu:** Water Prison Technique  
**Teikiatsu Genkotsu:** Cyclone Fist  
**Tsume no Amakakeru Ryuu:** Claw of Heaven's Soaring Dragon  
**Uindoken:** Wind Blade  
**Yukiha no Jutsu:** Snow Blast Technique

_-Genjutsu-  
_**Bachiatari Mugen:** Cursed Dreams  
**Byouretsu no Jutsu:** Violent Sickness Technique  
**Gijiato no Jutsu:** False Tracks Technique  
**Joukyuu Sakuran no Jutsu:** Advanced Distraction Technique  
**Jubaku Satsu:** Tree Binding Death  
**Kankiwamaru no Jutsu:** Overwhelming Emotions Technique  
**Kokohi no Jutsu:** False Place Technique  
**Kokuangyo no Jutsu:** Bringer of Darkness Technique  
**Magen: Beruseruku Chigokai:** Demoic Illusion: Berserk Bloodlust  
**Magen: Jigoku Gouka no Jutsu:** Demonic Illusion: Hell Fire Technique  
**Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu:** Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique  
**Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu: **Demonic Illuision: Living Hell Technique  
**Nehan Shouja no Jutsu: **Temple of Nirvana technqiue  
**Magan: Uttoushiitai no Jutsu:** Demonic Illuision: Depressing Reality  
**Ojou Yoken no Jutsu: **Death Foreseeing Technique  
**Sakuran no Jutsu:** Disraction Technique  
**Zaika no Jutsu: **Guilt Technique

_-Kenjutsu-  
_-Styles-  
**ANBU Kisoshiken:** ANBU Basic Study  
**ANBU Senka:** ANBU Specialized Course  
**Haireberu: **ANBU High Level  
**Tsuki Odori:** Moon Dancing  
**Onryou: **Revengeful Ghost  
**Butouada:** Dancing Revenge  
**Konoha Ryuu:** Leaf Style

-Moves-  
**Kaeri Kire:** Return Cut  
**Hayai Wake:** Quick Draw  
**Odori no Tsuiraku Tsuki:** Dance of the Crashing Moon  
**Odori no Shoushi Guffu:** Dance of the Midnight Tornado  
**Odori no Haikei Tsuki:** Dance of the Setting Moon  
**Odori no Jougen:** Dance of the Crescent Moon  
**Yuugure Ketatamashii Kiba:** Twilight Piercing Fangs  
**Odori no Rasen Tsuki: **Dance of the Spiraling Moon  
**Ino no Odori no Uzumaki:** Ino's Dance fo the Maelstorm  
**Senkouken **Flash Sword  
**Kurohyou Kizu **Panther Cut

_-Fuinjutsu-  
_**Dentatsu Fuuin: Seikitai Gen'ei:** Communication Sealing: Astral Vision  
**Fuuka Houin:** Fire Sealing Method  
**Fuumi Houin:** Water Sealing Method  
**Fuuui Houin:** Wind Sealing Method  
**Fuuchi Houin: **Earth Sealing Method  
**Fuuja Houin:** Evil Sealing Method  
**Gogyou Fuuin:** Five Elements Seal  
**Gogyou Kaiin:** Five Elements Unseal  
**Oboe Fuin:** Memory Sealing  
**Okugi Fuin: Kyou Chuugi oyobi Juujun:** Hidden Purpose Sealing Method: Enforced Loyalty and Obediance  
**Taibu Fuuja Houin:** Greater Evil Sealing Method  
**Un'yu Fuuin Houin:** Transportation Sealing Method  
**Zoukan Fuin: Genjutsu Kai:** Special Edition Sealing Method: Illusion Technique Release


	2. Chapter 0: Prologue

ï»¿

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Volume 1: Together Again!  
_-Prologue-  
_By Geor-sama

* * *

There have been three Great Shinobi Wars.

**The First Great Shinobi War **began sixty years ago, after the man known as the Shodai Hokage drew the various ninja clans within Hi no Kuni together to form Konoha. The fledging village struggled to keep from imploding from the in-fighting, while engaging in minor skirmishes, yet it was ironically enough Ta no Kuni that would soon forge Konoha into a true Hidden Village.

Ta no Kuni sought more land and invaded Hi no Kuni, the Daimyo persuaded by the Shodai to use his village, retaliated. Konoha quickly proved their worth by decimating the attacking forces. Ta no Kuni retreated and Hi no Kuni ordered that no retaliatory invasion should occur, however this seemingly isolated skirmish soon provided the catalyst for the First Great Shinobi War.

Seeking revenge, Ta no Kuni's daimyo turned to their northern neighbors Kaminari no Kuni and hired their ninja for an assassination. Not on the Hi no Kuni Damiyo, but instead upon the Shodai.

It was this that began the first, true, war between ninja villages.

With the death of their Hokage, Konoha suffered several devastating defeats and were cast into disarray. Then the Nidame, Shodai's brother, rallied them together and the tide soon began to turn. He established the Ninja Academy as a sort of quick boot-camp to greatly increase the level of ninja at his disposal, while long standing Clan distrust was set aside.

Finally, after years of fighting, the war came to an end as the Nidame Hokage did the impossible. Within the crumbling walls of Kumo's first village, he defeated the Nidame Raikage. It cost him his life, but Kaminari no Kuni quickly withdrew and surrendered in the face of the seemingly fanatically Konoha forces and the loss of Kumo's greatest ninja.

Following this Konoha soon faced a new challenge, the Shodai had chosen the Nidame yet the Nidame had died before selecting his own successor. It fell then to the Village Council and not the Hokage themselves to select them. After much debate and internal strife, the council selected the Shodai and Nidaime's student Saturobi as the Sandaime.

His only rival for the title quickly retreated into the shadows.

Under the Sandaime Hokage Konoha prospered and grew, gaining more strength thanks in part to the Sandaime who revised the curriculum of the Academy to produce better trained ninja as well as to pool both education tools and as a major means of social cohesion. It was through this and other gradual changes within the village, that slowly led Konoha closer to becoming the ideal that the original Hokage's conceived of.

Yet the peace would not last.

**The Second Great Shinobi War **began fifteen years after the Shodai's death. It began as Kaze no Kuni, in a bid for a more plentiful supply of water sought and quickly decimated Kawa no Kuni. Much like Ta no Kuni had earlier, they turned to a more powerful neighbor for help, Hi no Kuni and Konoha. It would be the first time that Konoha would be betrayed by an ally.

Suna quickly withdrew when Konoha ninja took up the fighting, which prompted the secret alliance between Kusa and Kawa to begin. Kawa blind-sided their benefactors, while Kusa made a plunge for a section of Hi no Kuni rich with water and land. Sadly both countries had underestimated Konoha who quickly recovered and decimated both, aided by a brief alliance with Ame no Kuni.

Unfortunately Suna had by then regrouped with a larger force and were now determined to take Hi no Kuni itself. Added to this was the weight of the earlier enemy Kumo who provided Suna with support in both Military Intelligence and supplies. It was the first war on two fronts and it quickly escalated, Suna even going so far as managing a massive attack upon Konoha itself.

The war cost many lives, but through the acts of the Sannin; the Hokage; Hakate Sakumo; and numerous others the war came to a close with Suna soundly defeated and Kumo nearly decimated once more. The peace that followed was dotted with brief skirmishes with the bordering minor countries, the most notable being Tsuchi no Kuni and Kusa.

Still, peace was forged and alliances were made.

**The Third Great Shinobi War **began nearly twenty years after the last, as Iwa grew dissatisfied with Konoha and the perceived arrogance of Hi no Kuni. Joining into a secret alliance with Kumo, Kusa and a reluctant Suna they launched a joint attack against the country. Konoha suffered devastating losses on all sides, its vaunted forces stretched to the breaking point as it fought a war on three sides.

Then, as so often happens in war, others learned that no ally could be trusted. First to turn was Suna who assaulted Iwa in mid-battle, openly declaring its allegiance to Kumo. Then Kumo turned upon Suna. Iwa however, spared no attention to these betrayals and instead focused entirely on the destruction of their enemy Konoha.

As the four major powers fought amongst themselves, it prompted an all out war between every country on the continent.

Konoha struggled through the war, losing many great heroes, even as others were quickly created. In the end as the bloodlust of war left the other countries, as the defeated surrendered, Iwa pushed for total annihilation of Konoha. Konoha who was beaten but unbowed, guided by the Sandaime, the now almost splintered Sannin, by the future Yondaime and Godaime, stood proudly against them.

In the end, though a cease fire was declared between Konoha and Iwa, Konoha emerged as the victor. It had taken on all comers, had defended its borders and its people, had fought losing odds, and emerged whole. Its damaged economy soon recovered, the village though decimated quickly repaired itself, the forces were quickly replenished and having grown distrustful of other countries went into isolation.

Many of their losses after all, were from allies who had sought aide and then turned on them.

The Great Wall soon encircled Hi no Kuni's borders, alliances were shattered and a mutual cease-fire declared. The only countries that could claim semi-good relations with the isolated superpower were Uzu no Kuni, Taki no Kuni and Ame no Kuni. Even still they were on strenuous terms and Konoha tolerated very little.

Shortly following the cessation of hostilities, the Sandaime adhering to the previous Hokage's wisdom named his successor prompting his own student Orochimaru to leave the village. The Sannin was soon pursued by Jiriaya, leaving behind only Tsunade who was bitter and resentful of the abandonment. She would soon leave the village, in the company of her lover's niece, leaving the Yondaime Hokage a year later, to stand alone between Konoha and the Kyūbi no Yōkō.

It has been noted by some that the Great Shinobi Wars seemed to follow the appointment of a new Hokage, as if there was some curse or tie to their rise that led to strife in the land. Others however, point out that the appointment and then death of the Yondaime Hokage made it no more than a mere coincidence.

'After all,' they claim 'there has been no Fourth Great Shinobi War'.

Those die hard to the theory say that it is possible that due to his short life and reign, and the subsequent reinstatement of the Sandaime, that the war merely skipped a Hokage. These people believe that the Fourth Great Shinobi War is on the horizon, that it shall begin during the reign of the Godaime Hokage.

Only one person knows the truth.

It has already begun.

It started the day the Yondaime took control, it started in secret. With plots and betrayals and is only now preparing to explode upon the world. The time is ripe, the pieces are in place and war will engulf the land...and this time there is no one within Konoha that can halt the advance.

This time Konoha will fall and the dream will be swept away, as falling sakura blossom's upon the wind.


	3. Chapter 1: Homecoming

****

Naruto: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 1:  
_-Homecoming-  
_By Geor-sama

* * *

"I still can't believe it, Sakini Duc asked you out..." Aya said in amazement.

"I just can't believe she turned him down!" Izumi exclaimed glancing at the other girl before fixing a gaze on Ino.

Ino couldn't help but roll her eyes in exasperation, unable to believe that she had ever been this stupidly shallow over a guy. She had long since repressed the memories of her Sasuke-fangirl days; those days belonged to a different Ino. An Ino who hadn't been tested in battle, hadn't been wounded and suffered the betrayals that she had.

"You know, this means she's turned down every guy in the program since she joined six months ago," Haruko said an evil smirk forming as she glanced at Ino. "Maybe it's just that Ino here doesn't like boys..."

"WHAT?!" Ino shouted, glaring at the girl. "How the hell can you think that?"

"Well, to be honest we've known you for a while and you've shown absolutely no interest in any guy." Haruko said calmly glancing at the other two girls for agreement.

Ino sighed, rubbing her temples as the other two nodded in agreement.

"Oh," Aya said brightly "Plus you do go to the Rezuba-ru more than any other straight girl we know."

"...I'm not listening to this," Ino muttered in exasperation. They had repeated this conversation many times over the last six months and Ino was quite honestly tired of it. Her 'friends' however, weren't and while they kept the talk going, Ino just walked in silent suffering. Was it her fault that all the guys that asked her out were idiots or worse yet, thought they were the greatest things walking?

Actually, what had they ever done to even make them think they were special? Of course, considering who she had grown up knowing, there probably weren't any guys that would be able to impress her. Having a team mate that can kill demon spiders and save a whole village sorta set the bar high in the 'impress me' department.

Thinking of him, of course, brought her around to mentally reviewing her calendar. Naruto was now a day late, his letter had claimed he'd be back yesterday but he hadn't turned up. Ino had even staked out a spot near the gates to be the first one to see him, but no, her friend had never turned up. Growing angrier by the minute, she was almost to the corner of the block when the air was suddenly rent by the sound of a thunderclap.

Carefully honed instincts kicked in and Ino spun, hand seeking her kodachi. Her friends were equally armed and ready, any humor from earlier long gone. Then she heard a voice from over head, a loud boisterous voice.

"I'm home!"

"Who the hell is that?" Aya asked, squinting as she and the others craned their necks to look up at him.

Ino couldn't help the small grin as Naruto struck what he thought was a heroic and cool pose.

"Thanks for asking! Konoha's Number One Prankster, Hero and the Next Hokage!" At this he jumped, flipped and landed neatly in front of them all flashing a grin. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

Ino couldn't help it; it was involuntary the way her eyes swept over him, picking out minor details. Orange pants with a black stripe down the leg, a black jacket with orange shoulders and stripes along the arms. His blond hair looked as wild as ever and his tan was lighter, but his features sharper. Seeing those blue eyes, those whisker marks, that fox-like grin, it was like someone had knocked the wind out of her, while turning the heat up.

Uzumaki Naruto...Naruto-kun...Ino couldn't look away, amazed at the changes she was seeing in her once runt of a teammate.

"Oh...wow," Izumi said breathless from beside her.

"Naruto, _the_ Naruto?" Aya added.

"Where'd he come from?"

"Naruto!?" Ino finally exclaimed before blinking again. Was that really him? At the sound of her voice, his grin turned into an outright smile.

"Ino-chan!" He called back happily moving toward her.

Still in disbelief, Ino let her sword go and started toward the boy as well. What the hell had happened? He went away a runty brat, cute in his own way, and now he was well...not a runty brat. Naruto met her halfway and before she knew it, he had swept her up into a hug and Ino let out an involuntary squeal.

For one, complete minute, Yamanaka Ino felt like a girl and not an ANBU trainee.

When Naruto set her back down, he held her close for a moment then let her go. Ino stared up at him in amazement, she had known he was coming back, but still having him there was a bit overwhelming.

"Ahem," Izumi interjected "Ino, are you going to introduce us?"

Flustered, Ino turned to face her three friends and noted their catty grins. She knew that look, it was the 'fresh meat' look and she really didn't like it being directed at Naruto. Then she felt his arm slinging around her shoulder and he stared at the girls.

"Oi, who are they?"

"Izumi, Aya and Haruko." Ino said, nodding at each girl respectively. Unsurprisingly Ino was forced aside while the three girls tried to gain and keep Naruto's attention. Ino fumed for a minute before forcing her way back to Naruto's side. She grabbed his arm and yanked him away. The blond stumbled, lost his balance and went crashing into a light pole. Ino however, was already pulling him further down the street away from her hussy friends.

"Oww, Ino-chan that hurt," Naruto whined, rubbing at his head tenderly.

"Not as much as it will if you don't tell me why you're back a day late," Ino growled, her euphoria over seeing him fading to less than overwhelming levels.

"But, but, aren't you happy to see me at all?"

"Of course I'm happy," Ino snapped, "but I'm also pissed. I waited all day yesterday and you never turned up. I wasted my day. "

"Oi, I wanted to surprise you!"

"Ah, well congratulations I'm surprised." Ino drawled, glancing at him curiously. "Also, what the hell was up with that entrance? I mean, I know you were loud back then, but that was just ridicules."

"Oi, how you enter is just as important as what you do." Naruto said, sounding as if he were quoting someone. Then, grinning, he put his hands behind his head. "So, how you been?"

"Fine," Ino lied, studying him intently. It was subtle, but she saw something in his mannerism's that wasn't quite Naruto, or at least not the Naruto she knew. "Naruto-kun, what's your favorite kind of ramen?"

"Eh?" Naruto said, staring at her curiously. "Well Miso Ramen of course, but pork ramen is a close second. Oi, I found this new type, too, and it was totally awesome! Not as good as Ichiraku shrimp ramen, but its close! Plus there's this-"

Ino tuned him out, instead watching the way he talked and the way his eyes lit up. Whatever suspicions she had about Naruto, being a ANBU Trainee taught you to be paranoid, disappeared. Nobody, no matter how perfect an actor, could fake the enthusiasm and sheer devotion Naruto displayed for ramen.

"-so anyway, I tried the special fruit ramen they wanted me to. It was 'meh', but it was different and hey, it was free ramen so I had a couple dozen bowls."

Seeing his expectant look, Ino blinked, realizing that she had missed a large part of his explanation. Now, of course, she could have apologized and suffered his glowers or she could shift conversation. Ino, unsurprisingly shifted the conversation. "So have you seen the Hokage yet?"

"Huh, Masked Pervert?" Naruto asked, then shook his head. "Nah, I wanted to check up on you and stuff...maybe get some lunch."

"Ahuh," Ino nodded coming to a stop to glare at him. "Go see the Hokage, we can eat later."

"But-"

"No buts, its routine procedure," Ino said firmly, crossing her arms. "Besides, I would rather eat dinner and catch up without having to worry about ANBU showing up to arrest your ass."

"Fine, fine," Naruto allowed huffing in annoyance before fixing her with a stare of his own. "By the way, glad to see you stopped eating just salads."

As Ino tried to understand what he meant, Naruto disappeared in a Shunshin. A moment later, she blushed as the conversations from when they were younger came to her. Still, embarrassed as she was by his statement, she was pleased that he had noticed, not that she would admit that.

To anyone.

__

Ever.

* * *

Hatake Kakashi, the Godaime Hokage, had silently suffered the numerous tortures that his responsibilities inflicted upon him. The restructuring of Konoha, the political backstabbing and the outright horror that was the paperwork. He had dealt with the weekly meetings which accomplished nothing, had dealt with the mind numbing boredom of approving the new Genin teams.

He had suffered all of this without a trace of his precious Icha Icha, because somehow, Naruto had not only stolen his copy and the copies in the village but every copy in Hi no Kuni. Kakashi wasn't sure how the boy had managed it; for that matter, he wasn't sure how he did it the first time, but he had.

It was this fact, that he had been suffering three years of withdrawal, which made him snap at Hyūga Hiashi. Generally, the Hokage treated this man with respect; after all, he did, in effect, control most of Konoha's infrastructure. It was his Clan, which had stepped up to the task of taking up the burden the loss of the Uchiha Clan had created.

However, after repeated attempts at trying to force the man to remove the curse seal on his youngest daughter, whom he had disowned, Kakashi's temper had snapped. He had made it crystal clear to the man that if she was disowned then she no longer fell under Hyūga Clan law. That unless the seal was removed then the Hyūga Clan could face utter disbandment.

Hyūga Hiashi had stared at him in disdain and point blank refused to remove the seal, while reminding Kakashi, that the Hokage did not have that kind of authority. Had **threatened** him, veiled though it was, with a sudden breakdown of Konoha's infrastructure. Which led to Kakashi saying that if it did happen, then Hiashi would find himself in an ANBU torture cell before the hour was up.

Needless to say, after that meeting, he had been confronted by the Council spokesmen. The Sandaime's former team mates had unapologetically blasted him for such a tactless meeting. Kakashi had weathered their speech for as long as he could before telling them 'being Hokage is not about politics' and then marched out of the small meeting room.

So, in the Hokage's opinion, his morning had been shot to hell.

Then Jiriaya had showed up to announce that he was back and that Naruto would most likely be arriving in a few minutes. A few minutes had turned into an hour, an hour into two, before long Jiriaya had left and Kakashi remained behind his desk wishing he were dead. Still to his credit, he heard the door click open and he reacted by bolting upright to see who it was.

Upon sight of Uzumaki Naruto, Kakashi felt a mixture of relief, annoyance and loathing.

"Hiya, Masked Pervert!" the boy said happily, then shivered as the temperature dropped several degrees.

Kakashi glowered at the young man, processing several dark thoughts. After all, this was the boy that had stolen his precious and made him suffer the atrocity of this job without relief. Legacy of the Yondaime or not, the boy had to pay and pay dearly.

"Err...something wrong?"

"You," Kakashi managed, eyes narrowed, "Stole. My. Book."

"Oh, well yeah!"

"You also managed to make every copy in the country disappear!"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, a confused grin on his face. "Huh, that's strange I don't remember doing that. Oh well, guess I must've...anyway, I came to check in-"

"Give me one reason not to toss you under the ANBU cells and forget about you." Kakashi grated out, struggling to keep from leaping across the desk to kill the boy. Kakashi rather enjoyed the mental image of ramming a Chidori down his throat, darkly satisfying though that was for sure.

"Uhmm," Naruto managed, then with wide eyes fumbled through his hip pouch producing a stack of books "'cause if you do then I won't be able to give you an advanced copy of the new Icha Icha series?"

"Good reason!" Kakashi said, eye curving up happily as his heart genjutsu formed around his head. Then shifting back into his normal mood, the book set firmly in his grasp, he fixed the boy with an intent gaze realizing just how much like the Yondaime Naruto was starting to look. "So, what have you been up to? I was expecting you two hours ago."

"Oi, well I just sorta wandered around," Naruto said with a shrug, "took in the sights-"

"-no, no," Kakashi interrupted happily, already reading the first page of the new series, "it should be something like, 'I got lost along the road to enlightenment,' or, 'a cute girl stopped me on the way, so I danced.' Maybe, 'A black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way.'"

"Er...ok."

"If you really want some class though," Kakashi said in subtle amusement as he looked up to note the confusion on the boys face, "try this one, 'The path that leads to what we truly desire is long and difficult, but only by following that path do we achieve our goal.'"

"Uh, what path am I following?" Naruto managed totally bewildered. "You want me to leave?"

"Never mind, it was just something a friend taught me once," Kakashi said, then putting his precious away to focus on the serious discussion looming before him. "Now then, I assume Jiraiya-sama told you all about your relationship with sensei?"

"Sensei? Oh, yeah," Naruto said nodding, crossing his arms.

"Ahh, good," Kakashi nodded slightly, that was one less thing he would have to deal with then. "I'll transfer the rest of sensei's mission funds into your account. As his relative, you're entitled to them more than I am."

Shaking it off, he motioned for the boy to have a seat and tried to think of the best way to explain the Unity situation. "Naruto, what do you remember about Unity?"

"Eh, Unity?" Naruto blinked, then scowled slightly. "Well, I know they tried to kill the Daimyo when I was a genin. Other than that I don't remember too much, just that it's made up of mostly ANBU, with some normal Jōnin and the hand signal Anko showed me."

"Ah," Kakashi said his eye drifting to the desk top, before looking back at Naruto. "Unity is an organization within Konoha, seeking to unite us under one leader, the Hokage. They believe this is in the best interest of both the country and the village itself, which is a false and dangerous belief."

"Huh?"

"A Hidden Village is a semi-autonomous political entity, we provide the country with our strength and they give us resources and a stable environment to stay in. On the surface it would be very beneficial to unite them, put it all under one person, but its not. A Hokage is a military leader; he can't and shouldn't lead civilians. Just as a Daimyo, who is a civilian leader, can't and shouldn't lead ninja."

"Huh?"

"...ever heard the phrase 'absolute power, corrupts absolutely'?" Kakashi asked, then seeing Naruto's mild confusion, explained further. "Giving a Hokage or a Daimyo total control over an entire country is the surest way to create a despot. You would also weaken the military as it would become more involved in politics, which make it nearly impossible to do much of anything, much less run a war or missions."

"Ah," Naruto said finally getting it, before frowning. "So why are you telling me all this?"

"That is what I am getting to," Kakashi said tiredly, wishing that he could have put this off for someone else to handle. "Unity was led by Danozu, who at one point, was a contender for the title of Hokage against the Sandaime. He formed and then led the Organization called 'Ne' within ANBU and through that developed Unity."

"Was?"

"He was assassinated about two years ago, by Uchiha Itachi," Kakashi explained, then seeing the boys surprised continued his explanation. "He knew that just by using ANBU and Jōnin, he would never be able to affect the vision he had, so he started working on another idea. Sway public support through carefully planned campaigns. He pretty much succeeded as well, but he never managed his final idea. His successor however, has been trying to do it."

"Ah, and his final idea?"

"Using the relatives of former Hokage's to give them official support," Kakashi said, locking eye with Naruto. "Each one has public and some political support within Konoha. If he can get one to back Unity, they'll move openly. Unity would not hesitate to kill me, replace me with their chosen man and then sweep this village into chaos. Because the Hokage has the final authority in the polices of the village."

"...so they're going to approach me?" Naruto said, blinking. "You want me to kill them or use 'em to slip in and kill the leader?"

"Neither, actually," Kakashi said, amused and impressed by the boy's reaction. Konohamaru had seemed nervous and Ino had seemed on edge, but neither had offered to kill the leader. "Just ignore them; we have a man on the inside. However, to defeat them, we'll have to do it another way. I'm just making you aware, just as I made Ino and Konohamaru aware."

"Right," Naruto said, scowling slightly before shifting back into what Kakashi had long ago figured out was his carefree persona. "Oi, so how soon can I get back to ya know, being an active ninja. I gotta lot of time to make up for being gone and remind everyone why exactly I'm so awesome!"

"I should have you off the inactive roster sometime tomorrow morning," Kakashi said, glancing resignedly at the none-too-small stack of paperwork he had been putting off. "You'll need a physical, I can probably get Tsunade-sama, oh, no wait, healing bloodline. Never mind then, still I'll have to find you a team, Ino is occupied now, and Shino..."

"Well, what about Anko?"

"Busy torturing ANBU Trainee's," Kakashi chirped, to be rewarded by Naruto's grin. "Its a good way for her to channel her anger issues."

"Well, can I least talk with her?"

"Tomorrow, she's got some of the lazier trainees on a wilderness survival test," Kakashi said, shivering at the idea while Naruto winced. "Anyway, don't worry about the team thing, I'll figure something-"

"Oi, why can't I do solo missions?" Naruto asked sounding curious. "I mean Anko did 'em and I did do that one before I left."

"Well, that is true," Kakashi mused. His mind clicked on the current backlog of A and B-rank missions, and Kakashi grinned behind his mask. He felt it worked out perfectly. A ninja capable of said missions, free from normal duties, who needed to suffer for torturing him for three years? It was divine providence. "Right, come by tomorrow. I'll have a mission for you then."

"Yes!" Naruto cheered, hand pumping in the air.

* * *

Tsunade frowned, brown eyes darting along the chart currently on her desk. Normally, she skipped out for a drink, with a well-deserved detour through the gambling district. But not today. Because today was the day one of her old team mates had rolled back into town, after training another would-be Hokage, for three years.

Jiriaya the Toad master, the biggest pervert in the world, whom she had personally put through who knew how many walls. Jiriaya, the white haired irrepressible spirit, who had been the heart of the Sannin. Who had asked her to run every test she could, because something was wrong with him and he wasn't sure what.

Tsunade knew though, because she had run every test. **Every** single one. Twice. Personally.

If the results were to be believed, the closest thing she had to anything resembling a real friend, was currently dying from chakra poisoning. Of course, it wasn't unheard of, but only during times of war or when a ninja had to subdue a bijuu. Channeling massive amounts of chakra over an extended period of time not only ruined your chakra system, but it poisoned you.

Normally, with time and care, your body would flush the poison from your system. However, do it often enough or sustain it long enough and it built up to a lethal amount. Which raised the question, how in the bloody hell, had Jiriaya managed to poison himself?

He had survived two wars, he wouldn't be stupid enough to do it now and last she checked, there were no wild bijuu out there. Lifting her gaze slowly she fixed her team mate with an icy glare, freezing him in mid-move of stealing her sake.

"Ok Hiki-kun, I'm only going to ask once," Tsunade said lacing her fingers together and resting her elbows on her desk, "How in the fucking hell, did you manage to poison yourself?"

"I assure you," Jiriaya said, flashing her that boyish smile that he had somehow retained all these years, "that I have no idea what you're talking about Tsunade-hime."

"I'm old," Tsunade shot back evenly, unamused or charmed, "but I'm not stupid. You have a lethal level of chakra poisoning in your system and there are only two ways it can happen. A) you got stupid and channeled too much chakra for too long or B) you subdued a bijuu. Both are highly unlikely, so I want to know how you managed it."

"How do you know they're unlikely? Maybe I did subdue a bijuu or channel too much chakra," Jiriaya said, picking up her sake and a cup while settling back on his seat. "After all, you and Oro used to call me the 'fool' all the time."

"That was nearly sixty years ago," Tsunade grated out, glaring at him. "Besides which, just being a fool doesn't make you stupid!"

"Either way," Jiriaya said dismissively, draining his cup in one gulp and then fixing her with the stare. The stare he had used to use when the Sandaime gave them horrible missions, the stare he had used on Orochimaru at the funeral for Dan. The stare that told you that he was serious, not playing and reminded you that he _was_ dangerous. "How long do I have?"

Sighing, Tsunade slumped into her chair, the leather creaking slightly. Staring at him for a moment, Tsunade mused about all the impossible missions that they should have never survived but had. All those encounters as Genin where they should have bought it, but hadn't. As Sannin, they had developed an ability to cheat death.

Yet, now it appeared that ability had failed Jiriaya, who had never actually feared death or old age, making him the odd ball of the team.

"If you stopped all chakra usage," Tsunade said after what felt like an eternity, "one maybe two years. If you don't, then six months tops. Anything stronger than a Bunshin will cut it to three at the least."

Jiriaya nodded before looking down. He helped himself to another cup and after gulping it down, looked up. He was smiling, but it was heartbreaking, because it carried so many bittersweet feelings. "It was fun."

"Jiriaya, I'm sor-"

"Pfft, I'm dying. Big deal. At least, I won't have to die in the field," Jiriaya said, climbing laboriously to his feet and setting his sake down, left her sitting there.

Tsunade stared after him for several minutes, then looked at the sake bottle. She had a very strong urge to take a very deep gulp of the liquid. To feel it warm her from the inside out, but Tsunade knew she wouldn't stop. She would drink that bottle, then another and another, she would drink until she drowned in sake.

Because by all that was holy, she would die before she let the shinigami have Jiriaya. She had lost Nawiaki, Dan and Saturobi. She wasn't going to lose Jiriaya too, because without him, life was just too damn dull.

So instead of taking up the bottle, she instead turned her mind and skills toward solving the unsolvable problem. Because lethal chakra poison was incurable, but Tsunade would change that. She was a Sannin, the best damn medic in the world, despite what her bitch of a former apprentice Sakura might believe.

She would cheat death again, and whither Jiriaya or the Shinigami liked it or not, she was a selfish person and stubborn as hell.

* * *

Umino Ayame bit back her groan as she eased herself into a seat near the counter, looking around that deserted stand. Not too long ago, the place would have been packed, well maybe packed was a strong word. It would have had at least a few people in, but not lately.

If things didn't pick up soon, she wouldn't be able to afford her babysitter, which meant Ayame would have to bring her kids to work. Her father might not mind, he might have hated Iruka but he loved his grandkids. Smiling wistfully as she remembered Iruka, he really had been a very loving man.

A great father too, despite his fears about doing a horrible job. Ayame however, didn't let herself dwell long on her memories of the man, she had learned crying was best done in private.

"Aha, Ayame-chan?"

Blinking, the ramen waitress looked away from the wall she was staring at and focused instead on the unexpected sight of Uzumaki Naruto. He was just standing there, a smile plastered on his face, older but still the same. He entered the stand completely, his smile not changing, but his eyes searching her face curiously.

"Naruto-kun! Welcome back!" Ayame said happily, getting to her feet to greet the boy. He responded awkwardly to her hug, but otherwise seemed happy as ever. As he settled himself into his seat at the counter he seemed to realize something was missing and stared at her even more intently.

"Where's the old man? Oi, and Iruka? I thought they would be here for sure."

Ayame paused, before plastering a false smile on her face. "Dad left a little early tonight, I can make you some ramen if you want though. Or, I think we still have some ramen left over from the dinner rush, I could heat that up."

"...ok, you talked me into it," Naruto said happily, "one Hokage sized serving please!"

"Right away!" Ayame said brightly, turning to fuse with the remaining pot of ramen. She couldn't help but feel like it was old times, Naruto wandering in late at night, demanding an after-dinner ramen feast. Humming to herself, she finished the bowl and set it before him proudly.

Naruto carefully selected his chopsticks, as Iruka had taught him so long ago, then breaking them apart paused to consider the bowl, tearfully. A hurried mutter of "Ikamatsu," and he dug in with gusto. A burp later, which was a sign of approval from Naruto, he handed over the now empty bowl with a grin on his face.

"So, how was it?" Ayame asked politely, turning to refill the bowl, knowing that he would immediately want seconds.

"I'm in love," Naruto said seriously, "if it were legal, I would marry this ramen and then eat it."

"That's a nice sentiment," Ayame agreed, flashing him a smile as she set the second bowl before him.

"Yep!" Naruto said, twirling the ramen around his chopsticks, eyeing her. "Oi, don't you have kids now or something? Cause, I know when I left you said something about twins...and Iruka explained a little..."

"Oh," Ayame said, fussing with the draw behind the counter where she kept so many pictures of her family. "Akemi and Kurouo, see? Kurouo looks just like his dad..."

"Akemi looks like you!" Naruto said brightly, studying the picture she presented him with. "Has Iruka introduced them to the joy that is ramen?"

"N-no," Ayame said, her pleasant mood fading as she realized that Naruto had no clue. That nobody had told him about Iruka, who had been the closest thing to a brother or father the boy had growing up. Seeing his confusion, she braced herself, feeling that she owed it to the boy to explain the situation.

Still, she couldn't help but fumble for words, which made Naruto's confusion turn into concern.

"Iruka," Ayame said slowly, seeing his interest, "isn't-"

"Oi, don't tell me he dumped you," Naruto growled out angrily.

"No, he would never do that!" Ayame said defensively and reassuringly. Then gathering her resolve, continued, "He, Iruka, died. A year ago, it was a mission, the last one he needed for his Jōnin promotion."

"...what?" Naruto asked, a stunned look on his face.

Gulping, Ayame nodded, forcing herself to lay out the whole story as she knew it. "See, you get paid more the higher your rank. Well, with two kids, we needed more money. So he decided to go for the promotion to Jōnin and he was doing so good, he just needed that last mission. Which was the first mission for Lee and Ino to start working toward Jōnin."

"Right," Naruto said, gesturing slightly for her to continue.

"I don't know much, the mission was to Katabami Gold Mine in the River Country. It was just supposed to involve a gang, but it turned out to involve a missing-nin," Ayame explained, dredging up all the old details that Ino had shared, forcing herself not to cry. "H-he was from Mist, I think, a legendary swordsmen-"

"The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist," Naruto said blandly, scowling at the counter top. "They've all went missing-nin or dead."

"H-how do you know?"

"During my training, we went to Mist," Naruto said, sighing heavily. "Ayame-chan I think I should go..."

"Of course," Ayame agreed, sad that she had to be the one to tell him about Iruka. The teacher had been so hopeful about seeing Naruto and what he would eventually become. They had been thick as thieves too. It had to be hard on Naruto to know he had lost someone like that.

She watched quietly as he put his money on the counter and left. Shaking her head, Ayame quietly cleared away the half-empty ramen bowl and collected the money. It was halfway through counting it that she realized that Naruto had overpaid.

By a lot.

Looking up at the entrance, were the curtains were waving, Ayame smiled.

* * *

Muscles coiled, Kodachi held poised for a Kesagiri, ears straining for the soft noise of her target. There! A soft whistling sound as the blade disturbed the still air. A moment to reset, take a breath, and start over.

Yamanaka Ino had, after repeated pestering, managed to convince her father not to fix the leak expressly for this purpose. It was a slow leak, too. A single drop that she was attempting to slice in half blindfolded. It honed her skills and sense' beyond any other training, and she could now de-wing a fly without looking.

Another slice!

"Wow! You're great Ino-chan!" Naruto's voice suddenly piped up and Ino couldn't help her yelp and jerk. Spinning and ripping the blindfold off, she glared at the boy. How the hell had he snuck up on her? Honestly, Ino was one of the best ninja in the village, the top of her ANBU class and he had just strolled up behind her without warning!

"How'd you get in here?"

"Huh? Well your dad opened the door, I told him I was here to see you and he pointed me back here." Naruto explained, blinking in confusion.

"Ugh, never mind," Ino grumbled, sheathing her sword and crossing over to his side. "So, ready to go eat?"

"Well, how about we just talk instead?" Naruto offered, much to Ino's surprise. That was unusual, they normally only talked when they were eating, so this was unexpected. Not that she was going to complain of course, after all, she would need a shower to actually go anywhere and eat.

"Fine, lead the way," Ino conceded, following the boy back out of the store and into the streets. Weaving through the crowd, Ino studied him without letting on that she was doing so. "So where have you been?"

"Er, training?" Naruto offered, glancing at her off guard.

"Yeah, but I meant, ya know where'd you go? What'd you do? Who'd you meet? How come you're wearing that outfit?" Ino said, fishing for information. He smiled at her, hands behind his head once more.

"Oi, the jacket? It was a gift from this princess in Snow Country, me and Ero-sennin went there looking for some map and got caught up in some sorta civil war," Naruto explained happily. "See, the princess's uncle had hired these missing-ninja to kill her father. So she hired us to kill her uncle and stop the whole mess."

"So you got involved in a civil war?" Ino asked curiously, knowing that by the laws of Konoha that was the last thing any ninja was supposed to do.

"Yeah, learned a few neat training tricks to. Ice walking is a lot more difficult than water or tree, and I know at least one snow jutsu-"

"Er...Naruto, snow and ice jutsu are a bloodline. You couldn't learn them." Ino said, blinking at the smugness on his face.

"Only the Hyouton stuff is the bloodline. There's this whole 'koori' style of jutsu out there, I can't do much but I can use some of it," Naruto explained, before going back to his story. "So anyway, after we took care of those ninja and her uncle, she decided to reward us. I got this outfit, which she said suited a ninja better than neon orange and blue. Ero-sennin got a kiss, and she agreed to let him use her likeness in his next book."

"...so wait, you're wearing that 'cause a _princess_ told you it looked good?" Ino asked incredulously. She had told him something to that effect before he left. Had he listened to her? No, he had listened to some bimbo princess.

"Oi, well that and my flak jacket was ruined...along with the few replacement jackets I bought in Wave Country," Naruto said defensively, crossing his arms. "Anyway, what's with your outfit?"

"What about my outfit?" Ino asked sharply, knowing that her outfit showed off more than it had originally. Gone were the bindings and the nearly full body clothing.

Now she was dressed in a top that left her toned stomach exposed. It covered her right arm and upper part of her chest with fish netting, leaving her left arm and shoulder exposed. Of course her bottom half showed off her legs to great effect; the split shorts and the black bicycle pants, the only things that made it street legal.

"Nothing," Naruto said, before he turned away with a faint blush on his cheeks. "So! What have you been up to?!"

Ino scowled at him and sighed, knowing that she could not tell him about trying to join ANBU. Currently active trainees were forbidden to discuss such things with anyone, even her parents didn't know about it. "Nothing much,"

"Really? Heard you were doing some missions to become Jōnin," Naruto said, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "Heard about this one mission involving one of the Legendary Seven swordsmen of the Mist."

"Kurosuki Raiga," Ino said absently, her mind roaming back to that first mission. While Lee played a part in the man's defeat, as had Iruka, it was Ino who finally defeated him. Even though it cost Iruka his life, which made her look at Naruto in confusion. "How'd you know about that?"

"Heard it from Ayame-chan," Naruto said casually with a shrug. "So, how exactly do you go about getting a promotion to Jōnin?"

Staring at him for another moment, Ino decided to answer his question. "Well, basically you just got to submit an application to the Hokage's office."

"An application?"

"Yeah, standard stuff, like your name and ID number. Then the kind of missions you've done and you gotta have a certain amount of points."

"Points," Naruto echoed blankly, looking at her strangely. "How do you get points?"

"Successfully performing missions," Ino explained with a shrug. "Each C-rank is worth one point, B-rank is two and A-rank is three. You'll need a total of about one hundred and fifty."

"So," Naruto mused rubbing his chin, "I'll need to run what, fifty A-rank missions? I can do that."

"Er, Naruto, A-rank missions are rarely given out," Ino said, slightly bothered by his dismissive nature. "Plus, you need the recommendation of both your Jōnin-sensei and another Jōnin. If you're denied promotion, you start over."

"Sounds easy enough," Naruto said, brightly with a smile.

"Right," Ino drawled sarcastically. "I've spent three years working on it and you say it's easy."

"Well, it is," Naruto said, defensively before turning to face her. "Oi, you wanna see something really awesome?"

"Uh, sure," Ino said startled by the change of conversation. A minute later, she followed Naruto to the rooftops, moving ever higher even as he performed ever more outlandish flips and jumps. Still, Ino didn't quite understand why she felt like Naruto was changed.

Admittedly he should be changed, three years changed someone after all, but this was different. His earlier question about Raiga had been casual, but it had felt weird. Like when those ANBU had been testing her, their questions had been so innocent and yet important.

Plus, there was this feeling that he wasn't quite acting normal. It was like he was pretending to be how she thought he should be. A few minutes later, they came to a stop on a rooftop that overlooked the Hokage Mountain and a vast stretch of forest and clear sky.

Glancing at him, she was startled to see his face soften before he gestured for her to have a seat.

Taking the hint quietly she sat down besides Naruto, legs dangling over the edge. The blond reclined casually on his hands, staring off into the distance. After another moment, Ino huffed and glanced at him. "So what's so awesome about this place?"

"Well, it's quiet, mostly. Plus, there's something about when the sun sets. It just looks, dunno, magical I guess." Naruto explained, glancing at her. "Haven't you ever watched a sunset?"

"Of course I have," Ino said with a snort as she leaned forward to rest her hands on either side of her legs, "but it's just ya know, the sun setting."

"Most of the time, that's true," Naruto admitted with a nod, "but sometimes, it's not. When I first became a Genin, that sunset was special. This is my first time back home so this will be special too."

Ino blinked, turning her head slightly to meet his gaze. It was one of those moments where, without words, each knew there was something special going on. Looking away, with a faint blush of her own, Ino focused instead on the setting sun.

It did indeed look more special than she normally gave it credit for. After a few more minutes of just taking in the sight, she sighed, her lips twitching humorously. "So how many other girls have you brought up here?"

"Uh, just you," Naruto said, shrugging slightly. "This was my favorite view of the city when I was a kid. Figured you might like it."

"Well, it was nice."

"Yep!" Naruto agreed, nodding. "So, anyway, what all's been going on? I know you're workin' on Jōnin and that Iruka died, but otherwise I'm in the dark. I mean, what's Shino doing?"

"Well, I-Shino died on a mission too a while back. Anko's been busy with some secret-"

"Training ANBU trainees," Naruto said, not batting eye at the news of Shino's death. "Kakashi told me."

"Right," Ino said slowly, eying him even more strangely before continuing, "Lets see, Neji made Jōnin and he's busy running the Military Police. Tenten made it a year later and is one of the detectives. Lee managed Jōnin too; he's got his own Genin team."

"Whoa," Naruto said, eyes wide. "What about Kiba and them?"

"Well, Kiba's a Chūnin and working for the Military Police. Part of their investigation unit. So is Hinata actually," Ino said, frowning slightly. There was something going on between those two, even if Choji didn't see it. Then again, Choji had always been a tad too trusting.

"Oi, what about the others?"

"Well, Shika and Chouji are both working at the academy" Ino said, trying to put off the last two, knowing Naruto would probably blow up. "They took over after Iruka, well you know..."

"Yeah," Naruto said, looking away before sighing. "So what about Sasuke and Saukra?"

"It's a long story," Ino said, trying to delay the telling. "Listen, I'm sorry about Iruka. I know you two were close."

"Thanks," Naruto said, looking away before turning back to her, "uhmm, what exactly happened out there anyway? I just got a few details from Ayame..."

Ino hesitated for a moment, studying his gaze, then looked away and started talking. "It was about a year and a half after you left some miners from the Katabami Gold Mine in River Country turned up seeking help. They didn't tell us much, just that there was an insane ninja killing them which naturally made it A-rank."

"Right," Naruto said softly, "why where you picked though?"

"Once you let the Hokage know your aiming for Jōnin, you start getting that kind of mission," Ino explained casually. She took a breath and continued with her story, "Anyway, we set out to investigate and it was a very typical mission. Lee knew the area pretty well, so we didn't have to worry about walking into traps. After we ate lunch at a curry shop, which serves insanely spicy curry that Lee swears by, we went ahead to the mine. The miners were terrified beyond description and refused our help point blank."

Glancing at him, she paused until she held his gaze. "We finally learnt the name of the ninja -Kurosuki Raiga– but it wasn't until later that we learned he was a missing-nin from Mist and one of the Legendary Swordsmen. We were just beginning to debate how best to settle the matter with Raiga when he showed up and everything went to hell. The fight was chaos, Lee was blindsided by lightning and Iruka was stunned. I was left going blade to blade against the guy."

"You fought another Legendary Swordsman from Mist?" Naruto said, then whistled nudging her with his shoulder. "So go on, what happened next?"

"I got my ass kicked," Ino said bluntly with disgust. "I wasn't used to fighting two swords at once and they weren't like any swords I had ever seen before either. Anyway, Iruka got back in the fight and we fought him off together. The overall thought was to get me back in close and while Iruka distracted him, I'd go for the kill."

"Only it didn't work out did it," Naruto said, scowling as he looked at the dark streets below them.

"Well, it did work out ok for a while. Especially when Lee managed to get back in the fight, for a minute it seemed like we were going to win. Then Raiga decided to stop playing around and I don't know how, but Lee was down in a matter of seconds and so was I. Iruka held on though and I don't remember much about the fight, but I know his wounds were fatal."

"He took a giant Shuriken for me once," Naruto said absently; his gaze distant. "When Mizuki stole a forbidden scroll and tried to kill me, Iruka dodged into the path of the giant shuriken. He was always watching out for me..."

"I, I don't think I should keep-" Ino started to say, startled at Naruto's revelation before he grabbed her forearm to stop her protest. Staring into those eyes, feeling more than seeing his need to know, she relented. "It was all a blur after I recovered enough to rejoin the fight, I used every trick I knew at the time and I still just barely came out on top. Lee hadn't joined me though, he had tried to tend to Iruka, but-"

"-he was dead," Naruto finished tonelessly, chin tucked against his chest. There was a moment of silence and Ino wasn't sure what to say, or if she should even say anything. After all, she hadn't known just how much Iruka had meant to Naruto.

"If he hadn't kept fighting, bought us -me- the time to recover...none of us would have come back," Ino offered, reaching over to briefly hold his hand.

"Heh, that's just the kind of guy he was. Would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it," Naruto said absently, then looked at her whatever emotions he had felt hidden away. "So, what about Sakura and Sasuke?"

"Like I said, long story."

"I have all night."

"Ok," Ino relented, gathering her thoughts on how to explain what had happened, the betrayal and the hurt they had inflicted on the village and those that had cared about them. "Sakura and Sasuke, they were the two most gifted ninja within Konoha, the first to reach Jōnin. The Ka-oni and the Benihime, our best and brightest. Sakura had spent years training with my aunt Tsunade, she was the second best medical ninja in Konoha and had even managed to surpass Kurenai in genjutsu. She had a technique so deadly that it was practically a kinjutsu."

"Wow," Naruto said leaning back on his hands.

"Yea, and Sasuke was even more impressive. He spent years training with the Hokage, along with nearly every other Jōnin in the village. He knew an ungodly number of ninjutsu and genjutsu. He was a demon in battle who completed every mission successfully. Ka-oni was only fitting because of his mastery over fire jutsu."

"Oi, why are you speakin' in the past tense?"

"Because," Ino said. Feeling the weight of his eyes, she sensed that he knew more than she had told him so far. "They decided to abandon the village. They betrayed everyone; hurt everyone that cared about them. Sasuke nobody knows why, except that it had to be for revenge...he was obsessed with killing his brother Itachi. That's the only reason we can figure he would abandon the village for Otogakure."

"What about Sakura?" Naruto growled, his voice tight.

"She left to follow Sasuke. Sakura, her entire world was built around him. He's the corner stone that holds her together and she's _utterly_ loyal to him and only him. She betrayed me, my aunt, Konoha, everyone, to follow him on his quest for revenge." Ino explained bitterly and was startled when she felt Naruto put a comforting arm around her shoulders. It was surprisingly soothing and Ino felt her anger fade for the moment and concentrated on telling how the event had come to pass.

"Konoha wasn't going to let another Uchiha go rogue, the Hokage sent the best he had after him; Kiba, Neji, Hinata, Shikamaru, Sakura and me. Our orders were either to subdue or kill Sasuke."

"So you guys hunted him down?"

"We tried, but he was being helped by these guys from this new village called Otogakure," Ino said, leaning slightly toward Naruto not minding the arm still around her shoulders.

"Never heard of them," Naruto admitted, finally removing his arm and stretching.

"Of course not, hence why I said it was a new Hidden village." Ino explained darkly. "I was one of the first to run a reconnaissance mission when it formed, just barely got out. Its where I got my nickname of 'Hitokiri'."

"Hitokiri? You?" Naruto asked incredulously, turning to stare at her.

"Yes," Ino said with a flare of annoyance. "I'm known as the Hitokiri of Konoha. I'm undefeated in twenty kenjutsu matches and I'm almost Jōnin."

"Ok," Naruto offered with a roll of his hand, clearly unimpressed. "So, go on."

Shooting him one more, dark glare that he couldn't see, but that she knew he felt, Ino continued. "The only chance we had of catching up to Sasuke was to leave a man behind to face whomever tried to stop us. I ended up fighting a huge freak, who had this weird transformation ability and was strong as hell. I still won of course, but when I finally caught up to Shikamaru and Sakura-"

Ino paused, her feelings of betrayal and anger boiling up once more. She could still feel the rain on her face, the pain in her body, the despair as she saw the fluttering scratched pink headband of her best friend pinned to a tree. A clear sign that Sakura had defected and broken ties with Ino, since she had been the one to give Sakura that headband. The sound of Shikamaru groaning, his dry whispers about Sakura nearly breaking his neck.

The sheer sense of loss that welled up inside her was too much.

"THE BITCH BETRAYED US! FOR A STUPID BASTARD!" Ino shouted, her voice echoing over the village. "Fuck them, fuck them and their revenge. They betrayed us, hurt us, used us!"

"Sssh, Ino-chan it's ok," Naruto said, putting an arm around her again, pulling her against him slightly while rubbing her arm.

"And you...you weren't here, we...if you, you could have stopped them, could have kept them from leaving..." Ino muttered, her voice small unconsciously voicing her thoughts she had kept bottled up since the betrayal. "You left us...left me...we needed you and you just left..."

"...I couldn't stay," Naruto said defensively, not letting her go. "I told you, I had to get stronger to protect everyone. I don't know if I could have stopped them or not, but I promise you as the next Hokage and as Uzumaki Naruto, that I will make them pay for what they did."

Ino didn't say anything, just leaned against him, fighting back her tears in silence, taking comfort in his voice. Yes, she was bitter and hateful but the tone in Naruto's voice, it told her that he was much darker, much more dangerous than he had ever been. This was a Naruto you definitely didn't want pissed at you, someone that you wanted to trust to do the hard jobs.

Words after that seemed moot and both just sat there, staring off into the night. For the most part Ino wanted to talk more, say something, after all there was that kiss she had given him. Yet, right now, all she could do was think about how she needed to go home and get some sleep. ANBU training had taken a lot out of her, as did the emotions currently rolling through her.

Besides, Ino wasn't quite sure about Naruto at the moment. No point in breeching a touchy subject until he had time to adjust and she had time to figure him out. Sighing, the blond finally pulled away and climbed to her feet, stretching with a groan.

"You leaving?"

"Yeah," Ino said, glancing down at the still seated Naruto. "Got an early day tomorrow and you just got back."

"Right," Naruto agreed with a slight nod. "Hey, think you'll have some time tomorrow morning?"

"Er, why?"

"'Cause, it's been a while since I've had a good work out," Naruto said, his tone teasing. "Who better than the Hitokiri of Konoha?"

Ino bristled at that, he didn't believe her? Fine, she had no problem kicking his ass. "I'll see you in the old training field."

"Great!" Naruto said happily. "G'night, Ino-chan!"

"G'night," Ino said, scowling at Naruto before leaving him to his thoughts.

* * *

It was a warm night, pleasant really. He could just hear the sounds of the village, and he basked in the knowledge that he was home. After three years, it felt good to be back, though things had changed more than he had expected.

Iruka dead. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around the concept, or shut out the memories of the man laughing or smiling. It was Iruka after all that had introduced him to the joys of ramen, who was the first to show any interest in him as a person. He did take some comfort though that the man had started his own family and that it had taken a ninja like Raiga to kill the man. It spoke volumes about his skill, even though he had never seemed that talented when teaching class.

Not that it made up for Iruka's death, Naruto was definitely going to miss him.

Still, no point in crying over it. Iruka had been a ninja, it was expected that someday he might not make it back. Jiriaya had made it a point to hammer that home, to make him understand that Naruto would most likely lose people close to him on a regular basis.

It was easy too, his game of pretend that he had started so long ago, worked perfectly. Everything he had done, everything he had seen, it all meant nothing. As long as he kept pretending.

Shaking his head, he instead focused on the situation before him. Sakura and Sasuke had abandoned the village, had betrayed everyone. He didn't know why nor did he really care, all that mattered was that he decided quite simply that he would bring both to answer for it.

As the future Hokage he was honor bound to face them.

Turning his thoughts away from them, he thought briefly about Ino. He could remember that kiss, it was hard not to. Naruto had wanted to ask her about it, but he hadn't been sure. Besides, she had treated him like an old friend and nothing more so...maybe it was best to leave it unspoken.

Still, even Naruto hadn't been able to ignore the fact that she looked good. Especially her legs. Those had been, wow, just thinking about her body made him blush slightly. Still, just a friend, because there was no way she could like him.

Even more important though, was the fact that something was different about her. He wasn't sure what; not really, just that it was more than working toward Jōnin. The way she moved, the way she talked, it reminded him strongly of the few ANBU he had encountered in the other countries.

Not in combat of course, because as the student of Jiriaya he was afforded the same respect as the man himself. It was funny to think Jiriaya, that huge pervert, was so well respected that he could come and go in any country without a problem. Plus the people Naruto had met were not limited to ANBU or Jōnin.

He had met two Kage's, the Raikage and the Kazekage, and at least three Daimyo's. It was strange and slightly weird, since Naruto was by no means polite. Plus, the general knowledge of the world and other village he had picked up was invaluable.

Chuckling, he stretched and stood, deciding it was time to head back to his place. He had that sparring match against Ino in the morning, plus he would have that mission Kakashi would have for him. Still as he set off, he knew that the time was fast approaching that he would have to let others know about his secret.

He would have to share the fact that he was the prison of the Kyūbi, but he would have time enough for that. First, he had to establish himself and remind them why he was such a freaking awesome ninja.

He was Uzumaki Naruto and he was going to be the greatest Hokage ever!

Believe it!


	4. Chapter 2: Return Mission

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 2:  
_-Return Mission-  
_By Geor-sama

* * *

Yamanaka Ino just barely stifled her yawn, then readjusted the kodachi on her back. Despite three years of early mornings, she hadn't quite adjusted to them. What made it even more tricky was the fact that she had gotten up a tad earlier than usual because of that stupid agreement to spar with Naruto.

Although, if she was honest, Ino did want to see just how much better he had gotten. The boy had trained exclusively with a Sannin the entire time he was gone. Undoubtedly he would be awesome, probably even better than she was.

Still, she wouldn't know until after she sparred with him.

A grumbling from her stomach disrupted her thoughts and reminded her that she hadn't eaten in her hurry. She was determined to be the first one on the training field, just to mess with Naruto's head. Catching the scent of fresh collon creams, Ino made a quick detour to buy several of the strawberry stuffed, shortbread, barrel cookies.

Paying quickly and with a bright smile, Ino hurried on her way, munching happily on her quick breakfast. Before joining ANBU, she wouldn't have been caught eating such a fattening treat but after realizing her ANBU training kept her weight down Ino couldn't help but indulge. Finishing her meal off happily, Ino cracked her neck and took the shortcut to the training field.

For a moment she honestly thought she had beaten the boy there, but found him sacked out against a tree. Snorting, Ino crossed her arms and glared at the oblivious dolt.

"Figures," Ino muttered before walking over to kick his outstretched foot, "wake up!"

Grumbling, Naruto opened an eye and twitched, staring up at her. "Oi, Ino-chan? 'Bout time ya got here..."

"Yeah, yeah," Ino muttered moving back slightly as the blond regained his feet and stretched with a groan.

"So, so, sleep in 'Hitokiri'?" Naruto asked teasingly as he ran through a few quick warmups.

"No," Ino said sweetly, taking her kodachi and the sheath off her back to hold in her left hand, "I was busy eating a Hokage sized bowl of miso ramen."

"...WHAT?!" Naruto exclaimed wide-eyed.

"Well, I would have treated you but you weren't around," Ino said, eyeing him with amusement. His left eye twitched and he looked as if he wanted to say something. Wisely though he didn't and instead just fixed her with a stare.

"So, should we start?" Ino asked, not hiding her smile.

"Sure," Naruto said, smiling now, "the sooner I win, the sooner I eat ramen!"

"Don't take me that lightly," Ino said tightly, eyes narrowing. If there was one thing Ino couldn't stand, it was being underestimated. She had worked hard to earn her reputation as the Hitokiri, one of the best of her generation. She had lost track of how many times in a kenjutsu matches her opponent made light of her, saying shed earned her name with her looks, despite her undefeated status in said matches.

"Oi, just saying," Naruto said brightly, hands behind his head and eyes closed, "the sooner I win, the sooner I eat."

Ino's temper snapped at his cavalier attitude and eyes narrowed, she darted forward, jabbing her sheathed weapon at his face. Naruto just barely managed to twist aside to avoid the thrust. Which was what Ino wanted as her sheath slid forward, exposing part of the blade.

A flick of the wrist sent the blade slicing at his cheek.

Naruto however, reacted with a sharp blow to her wrist which redirected the entire weapon up. He followed with a quick step, his hands clamping onto hers and the sheath from the back. Ino growled and slipping her left foot around, yanked Naruto into a flip and freed her blade. Recovering, Ino watched as Naruto regained his feet easily.

A second later, she shifted her weight to rest on her back foot while the tip of her sword rose to aim between his eyes. Studying him and the intent look on his face, she couldn't help but smirk. "So, still think this is going to be easy, Naruto-kun?"

"You're good," Naruto admitted with a grin before unzipping his jacket and tossing it aside, which left Ino momentarily distracted by how his mesh undershirt clung so nicely to his frame. Cheeks heating up, she forced her mind away from appreciating the physique and instead focused on the fighter. He was smirking and twirling a kunai around a finger, then meeting her eyes winked. "But me? I'm magic."

A second later, Ino felt the surge of chakra, her sense's honed to the slightest change in her surroundings. A brief flare of chakra and she matched his shunshin with one of her own. Naruto twisted out of the way of her slash, then somehow bent backward at an impossible angle as her kodachi sliced through the air where his chest had just been. With a spin, Ino had him dead to rights and made a sharp thrust for his throat.

Then, with a sharp clang, her sword was jolted to a stop. The tip of her blade was pressed tightly against the flat part of a kunai that had appeared out of nowhere. Eyes wide, Ino looked at Naruto and seeing his smile, couldn't help but smile in return. Naruto flexed and pushed her sword back as he jumped away, the kunai twirling around into a new grip.

"So, you got the Shunshin?"

"Well," Ino said, shifting her kodachi into a new position, "a girl has to be fast."

"Oooh, I like fast girls," Naruto shot back, his double meaning catching Ino off guard. "So, think you can keep up?"

"Try me," Ino said, this time pleased to see the surprise on his face. Then he grinned, winked and disappeared into a Shunshin. Ino readied herself to match him, eyes darting to the briefest flash of orange as he darted all around her. It took her a minute but suddenly Ino realized that she wasn't seeing the real Naruto in those flashes, he was doing multiple shunshin's and in such a manner that he was creating an after image.

That was very impressive, she had seen Anko do it once and a few ANBU Captains. Still she knew how to disrupt the trick and channeling the chakra along her blade she jumped, disappearing with her own shunshin. A moment later she was high over head and slashing her blade through the air, aiming for the clearing below her.

'Dance of the Midnight Tornado!'

Suddenly, the chakra along her sword and into the air, creating a medium sized tornado. A minute later, she saw Naruto darting from the clearing and into the branches of tree. Flipping on her downward decent, Ino landed nimbly on her own branch grinning at the boy who was eying her happily. Somehow her instincts, honed in combat, told her this was not a good thing. Naruto exuding happiness in this situation, her sixth-sense told her, was not conductive to her health.

"What are you smiling about?"

"I get to use my jutsu," Naruto said happily before forming a tora seal, and Ino's eyes went wide before she shunshin'ed out of the line of attack. She reappeared a second later, sword blade against Naruto's neck and an arm draped around his shoulder.

"How about you don't and say you did?" Ino asked sweetly, aware that he was in no position to object. That was when Ino realized her mistake and moved just in time to avoid the exploding clone, which also took out the tree they had been in. Landing, she twisted around to find Naruto charging her, hand cocked back.

Was it her, or was the air around his hand distorting itself and...why did she hear rushing wind? Eyes wide, sensing there was more to this punch than a simple fist, Ino moved to the side just in time to have the first connect with the tree behind her. The trunk exploded into splinters from the blow, which forced her further away. Coming around, kodachi held parallel before her face allowing only her eyes to peek over the blade, she eyed Naruto carefully.

"What was that?"

"That?" Naruto asked, turning toward her, scratching the back of his head, "eheh, I put a little to much wind chakra into it...but I call it 'Teikiatsu Genkotsu'."

"...and it does what exactly?" Ino asked, eyes watching for when he lowered his guard.

"Basically using my wind chakra, I form a mini-cyclone of wind around a fist. There's also a Nibi Teikiatsu Genkotsu version," Naruto said flashing her a grin. "By the way, I call this 'Igai Kaze Chouyaku'."

"Igai Kage-" Ino started before suddenly being hurled into the air by a burst of wind from beneath her. Twisting in the air, cursing the entire way, Ino wasted valuable chakra on a Kage Bunshin to grab her wrist and send her hurling at a surprised Naruto. Drawing her kodachi up to rest on the opposet shoulder, Ino channeled her chakra along the blade.

A second later, she twisted her body to build momentum and swung. There was a splattering of blood and Ino landed in a crouch, looking up at Naruto, who had moved. However, he had been caught a bit short, hence his now wounded hand. Smirking Ino stood and lunged, starling Naruto into stumbling and then falling. Her kodachi came up and then dropped in a chopping motion, where it was stopped by Naruto's sandle, which made Ino blink in surprise.

"Surprise," Naruto said tightly and kicked her blade away. With a spin, he came to his hands and planted a side-kick to her stomach bowling her over. Rolling to a stop, Ino sprang to her feet meeting Naruto's gaze.

"Steel on the bottom of your sandle's?" Ino asked casually, still wincing from the blow to her stomach. Damn, that had hurt pretty bad, but she would trade a wounded stomach for the thin bead of blood on hand. At least she would have until she saw the thin cut heal, which made her pause as she remembered the bloodline he possessed. So a more lasting cut would be needed, ok, she could do that.

"Oi, come on, I thought we were gonna spar," Naruto said, a goading grin on his face.

"Well I would," Ino shot back shifting the angle of her blade slightly, preparing for her next attack, "but you seem more interested in staring at my legs."

"I'm not, that isn't," Naruto sputtered, eyes wide and waving his hands as if to say what he couldn't with words. Which was what Ino wanted. She darted forward with a burst of chakra to her legs, then with a surprise shunshin completely closed the gap. Her sword was arching over head in a basic downward chop, eyes locked with his startled gaze.

Her plan was to stop at the last second, to scare the boy and show her true skill. Then her entire arm jarred from impact and for a horrible moment she thought she had killed him. She realized that without looking away from her face, his hands had arced up and not only caught but halted her descending blade between his open palms at the very last second.

Ino stared at him with wide eyes, unable to process the sheer skill that required.

Plus, he was staring at her with impossibly intent eyes, eyes that made her feel weak and special.

With a jerk, Naruto twisted Ino's kodachi to one side, pivoted on a foot and planted a kick onto her stomach. Ino exhaled sharply, her grasp on the sword slackening a fraction of an inch, which allowed the momentum to yank the sword from her grasp. A moment later, Naruto had grabbed one of her wrists and pulled it across her stomach, doing the same with her other arm in the opposite direction.

Surprised though she was, Ino tried to break free, but Naruto took care of that as he pushed her back sharply against the trunk of a nearby tree. For a moment she struggled, angry and refusing to admit defeat, before her body started reporting certain sensations. The warm, heavy breath on her cheek, the way his body was pressing against hers. Her heart beat quickened, she inhaled sharply and met his gaze fiercely.

There was a moment of silence as the two stared at each other, faces inches away, bodies pressed against each other.

"So..." Naruto managed.

"So..." Ino agreed breathless.

Both teens tilted their heads, instincts guiding them toward the first, irrevocable kiss...

"Naruto, there you are!"

Naruto jerked away and Ino stumbled, recovered and shot a glare at the interloper. Eyes narrowed, she stared at the black haired, trench coat attired woman who happened to be the bane of her existence. Mitirashi Anko, ANBU Trainee instructor, who lived solely to torture Ino in ways that defied description.

"Anko," Ino hissed darkly.

"Anko!" Naruto shouted upon seeing his old sensei and then promptly hugged her.

"Yup!" Anko agreed happily hugging back, shooting Ino a sadistic and knowing grin.

All Ino could do was grind her teeth and think very dark, very violent thoughts.

* * *

The village seemed a bit different than he remembered, cleaner maybe? Of course, that could be the fact that the villagers weren't just ignoring him like when he had been growing up. A few smiled, some of the girls giggled and blushed, his status not entirely forgotten.

"You're really enjoying this," Anko muttered softly from his side.

"Sorta," Naruto admitted, smiling at a middle aged woman and her young child, "don't worry, I haven't forgotten how they treated me before I fought Gaara."

"Good to know," Anko drawled, glancing at him. "You know, I was watching your little sparring match with Ino."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Anko said smirking slightly, "you know you shouldn't have held back with her right? I mean, she is an ANBU trainee after all."

"Wha?!" Naruto said, startled at that. He stopped to stare at her, his mind trying to wrap itself around such a concept. It wasn't hard really, but still it was surprising, but it also explained why she had seemed different.

"Surprised?"

"Sorta, but not really," Naruto said after a moment, shaking it off before resuming his walk toward the Hokage tower. "Besides, I only held back because she was."

Anko snorted, shaking her head. "Yeh, it was a bit obvious, wasn't it?"

"So, training ANBU Trainees, bet that's fun,." Naruto said, smiling and carefully switching topics since his mind kept flashing back to Ino and her long, toned legs.

"Hearing a bunch of wanna be high level ninja cry and whine?" Anko said flashing him a smile. "Hell yeah, its a lot of fun."

"I bet," Naruto said, hands behind his head. "So, so, you hear? I'm going to be doing some solo missions!"

"Gee, that's a surprise," Anko said mockingly. "So you gonna tell me about your trip?"

"Sure!" Naruto said brightly, launching into an exciting, but brief, retelling of his training trip. He ranged from visiting Suna to the civil war in Yuki no Kuni, which Anko seemed to express a large amount of interest.

"...so let me get this straight," Anko said, finally interrupting his nearly continuous flow of words. "You unsealed Gaara, met his dad, went to Kumo and met the Raikage... after which you went off to the other side of the world to get involved in a civil war?"

"Pretty much," Naruto said nodding as Anko raised an eyebrow.

"First chance we get, you're sitting down and you're telling me the whole damn story," she finally said, snorting in annoyance. "I've always hated summaries, they never tell you the good stuff."

"Oi, I promise, first chance we get," Naruto agreed, tilting his head. "You know, I missed you ya psychotic bitch."

"Missed ya too brat," Anko said, slapping him upside the head. "I'll see you later, gotta go torture your girlfriend!"

"Huh? She's not my-" Naruto started, then stopped realizing he was alone in the street. Snorting he shoved his hands in his pockets and continued on his way muttering to himself. "-girlfriend."

Shaking his melancholy off, he hurried on his way to the Hokage Tower. It honestly didn't take him long, of course that could have been because he was caught up in thought about his trip, the sparring match with Ino and Anko. Either way, he was there and outside the office door surprisingly fast in his opinion.

Naruto paused just long enough to consider what kind of entrance to make, then settling on causal, opened the door and entered. "Morning, ya masked pervert!"

"Hmm, oh Naruto, I was expecting you sooner," Kakashi said, looking up from his Icha Icha book, eye fixed on him. "What have you been up to?"

Naruto grinned remembering how Kakashi had told him you were supposed to answer such questions. He took a moment to consider his answers before offering one. "There was a bowl of ramen in the street, so I stopped to eat."

"Ah, I see," Kakashi said, eye curving up happily. "So I assume your ready for your first mission?"

"Hell yeah," Naruto said happily, hands behind his head. He'd been looking forward to this since yesterday, missions at last. He was back on his path of Hokage. First, he would make Jōnin though and he would do so in record time.

"I figure you should start out with a simple B-rank mission-"

"Oi, but I want A-rank!"

"This is more of a warm up mission than anything," Kakashi explained, "after you finish it, you'll have an A-rank mission."

"Oh, ok, that's good then."

"Glad to hear it," Kakashi muttered, selecting the mission he had mind. He nodded discreetly at a bandaged ninja who opened a side door granting entry to whoever was on the other side. The man that entered was tall, gray haired, distinguished and dressed in formal clothes that denoted a position of importance. "I trust you remember Ambassador Taishi?"

"That name sounds familiar," Naruto said, frowning slightly as he tried to remember where he had heard it. Jiriaya had said Naruto had to be the worst with names he had ever seen and it was true. Hence why he so often used nicknames, although sometimes he just did that to piss the person off because he found it funny.

"I'm deeply hurt," the man said humorously, "as I am sure Ryo-hime will be when she discovers that her favorite ninja doesn't remember his first mission."

"Oi, of course I remember it!" Naruto said defensively, and he did. How could he forget Ryo, or Kusa, his first taste of sake, his first kill? Scrunching his face up, Naruto studied the older man before snapping his fingers. "Oi, you're the ambassador! So, how is Ryo-chan?"

"Remarkably fine," Taishi said with a barely noticeable sigh.

"Ahem, Naruto? Mission remember?" Kakashi interrupted, eye closed in the familiar happy curve.

"Right!" Naruto said, turning his attention back to the masked man who offered him the mission scroll.

"You'll be escorting Amabassador Taishi to a private meeting in a remote section of Taki no Kuni," Kakashi elaborated. "You shouldn't have too much trouble really. Mostly, you'll be on hand if any bandits or ninja decide to get involved."

"Right and why would a ninja get involved?"

"That," Kakashi said brightly, "is a good question. Shortly after your Chūnin exam, the other Four Great Shinobi Countries finally realized the dangers of allowing other foreign ninja into their homes."

"Gee, what could have ever made them realize that?" Naruto asked in mock innocence.

"I have no clue," Kakashi returned just as innocently, eye closed happily. "Anyway, this led to discussions of a suitable location and other details. However, with most of the minor countries being caught up in the war with Kusa its been very difficult to get a place everyone could agree with."

"War with Kusa?"

"Ame was involved in the assassination of the former Kusa Daimyo and it was not alone, several other countries had direct involvement. However, due to alliances, attacking those countries drew other countries into war. Kusa has conquered Ame, Tori, and Numa. However, that leaves Tsuma, Kuma and Kiba."

"So," Taishi said, taking over the explanation, "we've been stuck looking for a neutral place to hold the meeting to finalize the details. Obviously, none of the Five Great Shinobi Countries wish to risk information being stolen, general mistrust of course."

"Ah," Naruto said in understanding as things clicked into place. "So the reason the meeting is in Taki is cause its not just neutral, but where the new exams are gonna be held?"

"You've gotten sharper," Kakashi said, eying the boy intently. "You'll act as escort to Ambassador Taishi so he can finalize the details with the ambassadors of the other Four Great Shinobi Countries. The real danger comes from the fact that while the ninja escorting the other ambassadors probably won't act, they are ninja and hence we have no clue what they'll really do."

"Right!" Naruto said, pocketing the scroll before grinning. "Ossu, Jōnin here I come!"

* * *

Sitting from where she was at, Mitraishi Anko had a clear view of the training course. It wasn't the hardest course the ANBU had, but it was the hardest that the Trainees were allowed to use. That made it hard enough for the most part, but the thirty currently running it were doing so easily, which vindicated her judgment on who to initially cut.

Eyes trailing back, Anko snorted, munching her dango quietly. Even from here she could tell Ino apart from the others. Ino moved with a more assured grace, she took the course without even seeming to pay attention. The others were pouring their everything into it, ensuring that they would be tired for the last leg, while Ino paced herself.

Eyes darting back to the two boys, Junko and Juro, in the lead, Anko almost felt sorry for them as both bucked to be the squad captain. Why, Anko had no idea, because she wasn't planning on appointing one. Anko knew her assignment as ANBU Trainee Instructor was temporary. Soon enough she would be let go. Probably before the next set of recruits were selected. Until then, though she planned on producing the best ANBU she could, and squad leaders created big egos that hurt people in the long run.

Eyes drifting back to Ino, Anko chuckled thinking about the events of the morning. It had almost been cute the way she had seen Naruto and Ino flirting as they fought. Obviously holding back, but there was tension there and that kiss. Anko had stepped in for several reasons, one because she wanted to make sure Ino was really right for Naruto. Another was that it would build the anticipation, which always made the first kiss so much better. Then there was the fact that part of Anko was a tad jealous. She was not too proud to admit that she had a tiny crush on Naruto.

Still her main goal was quite simply to assess the suitable of Ino for her Naruto.

Suddenly Ino made her move, as the others were being bogged down by the last trap and their exhaustion, the blond leaped and grabbed the handhold over head and then flipped to the other side. From there, it took no effort for Ino to take the lead and reach the end of the course. It even bought her enough time to stare at her comrades who came trotting up after her.

Climbing to her feet, Anko finished her dango and cupped her hands around her mouth. "C'mon, move it, you bastards! Form up over here!"

Ino trotted in the lead, the others recovering but still winded. When they were all sorted and lined up before her, Anko crossed her arms, walking from one end of the group to the other. Eyes darting between the blank masks that they wore -you earned the privilege to wear the animal mask; it was not a right- Anko sized them up silently for several minutes.

"Ah, Anko-sama, ma'am...were missing a few people," someone offered, careful to keep from using body language that would reveal who it was. Her number one rule was never to refer to her as 'ma'am. Seeing the group tense for a second, she chuckled darkly before walking lazily to a wall where she leaned against it.

"Go ahead, look around," Anko said lazily, gesturing at the group. "You guys started with roughly a hundred fellow Trainees. You thirty have survived, due to skills and determination."

"Hell yeah," a guy wearing the standard blank mask of the ANBU Trainee said happily.

Anko smirked, her eyes darting from the boy to the others, before settling her gaze on Ino. No other trainee had that kind of hair style, or was so relaxed in her presence. The girl of course was a special case, Hitokiri and a former quasi-student of Anko's. "The problem is, none of you are good enough as you are."

"But you just said-"

"What I said, was that you had survived. ANBU do more than survive. They dominate. All of you are weak, soft. Scared of me, of yourselves, of the fact that you could, and probably will, end up gutted or raped."

"Bullshit!"

"Really?" Anko quipped, arching an eyebrow causing everyone but Ino to flinch. "Then prove it, show me that one of you has the balls to step up and fight me. Cause, I doubt if there's a handful of guts in the whole bunch. Come on, who thinks they've got what it takes to knock me down?"

Unsurprisingly, nobody rushed to raise their hand, but Anko knew to wait. If you waited someone always volunteered, let their suicidal tendencies talk them into it. Eyes sweeping the room, she sighted on Ino, who moved forward without a word before stopping in full view of everyone. Anko couldn't help the grin on her face as she studied the girl, who undoubtedly wanted revenge for interrupting that kiss with Naruto.

Pushing off the wall, she sniffed casually and stretched. Then motioning at Ino, she waited for the attack, which came in the form of a shunshin and a round-kick aimed for her head. Anko casually blocked the blow, only to have her arm pass through the now apparent Bunshin. A second later, Anko's hearing picked up the faint sound of a punch from behind.

Spinning Anko unleashed a reverse sidekick which caught Ino in the face, upon which the girl promptly disappeared with a puff of smoke. A second later, Anko dodged as Ino dropped from overhead with a somersaulting kick. The girl landed adroitly and sprang forward with a right punch aimed at Anko's face, which was child's play but obviously Ino was under the assumption that Anko would dodge.

Anko was thus surprised by the mid-step shunshin and the follow-up kick between her shoulder blades. She toppled forward, rolled with the momentum, and rounded on the ball of her foot to see Ino throwing another punch. Angry at herself and at Ino, Anko sidestepped left to avoid the blow and grabbed the girls wrist with her left hand.

Anko neatly pivoted on her left foot. She grabbed Ino by her right shoulder and lifted an elbow to strike the girl right under the jaw where the mask provided no protection. The muffled noise was nothing to what came next, as Anko summarily straightened her right leg, pulled with her left hand, pushed with her right and twisted to the left.

Ino hit the ground hard and Anko dropped her left knee into the girls bicep. Her left thumb and right thumb pressed against the back of the girls hand, bending it but stopping short of snapping the wrist. Grinning, Anko looked up at the other ANBU recruits. "Take a good look, this bitch is going to be an ANBU Captain while the rest of you are still trying to tell the difference between your asses and a hole in the ground."

That said, Anko applied the extra pressure, rewarding herself with both a scream and a sharp snap. Standing, she looked from each blank mask to the next. "Anyone else? No? Then someone take her to the medic, class is dismissed for an hour till her wrist is fixed. After that, we start Advanced Taijutsu training."

"Advanced Taijutsu Anko-sama?"

"Yeah, you know, the stuff that is the opposite of Basic Taijtusu,." Anko said causally as she crossed her arms. "There are five Hidden Taijutsu styles within Konoha; Juken, Tekken, Hebi, Gama, and Namekuji. You will learn moves from each style, which combined with your pre-existing skills, will produce more effective ANBU."

Pausing, Anko glanced at Ino who was on her feet and cradling her wrist against her stomach. Raising an eyebrow, Anko glanced at the class then turned walking away.

All in all, Anko considered it a good introduction.

* * *

Shizune sighed, shuffling the paperwork in her arms as she approached the thick door leading to the single greatest medical ninja in existence. Well, Shizune would have to admit, Sakura was a close second but as the girl had turned traitor it was a moot point. Besides, Tsunade had not taught Sakura all her tricks and skills.

Oh yes, Sakura had hurt herself in the long run by leaving before her training was complete.

Nodding to herself, the medic and trusted attendant, grasped the door and opened it without announcing herself. There was no need, Tsunade would either be asleep, or out drinking and gambling. That was standard for the older woman to blow off steam. Shizune would see to the remaining paperwork and then berate Tsunade for shirking her responsibilities.

Still studying the paperwork in her arms, Shizune failed to notice the stacks of scrolls and books littering the room. Failed to notice that the out basket Tsunade used was filled and that her desk was stacked with numerous medical folders. It wasn't until Shizune had sat down at the empty desk and prepared to work that she noticed them and she could only blink.

Setting the paperwork she had brought aside, Shizune shifted through the open folders on the desk, her eyes darting through the case histories. They were all different people and different ages. The only thing they seemed to have in common was Chakra poisoning and strangely enough, certain sentences were underlined in red.

Her eyes darted from each underlined section, realizing slowly, that for some reason Tsunade wasn't just researching chakra poisoning. She was looking through cases of lethal chakra poisoning and the more she read, the more she realized her mentor was looking for a cure.

Treatment options upon treatment options, whole sections marked in red or crossed out, words and phrases circled. From what Shizune could see, the only things that had even slowed down the painful death were 'chakra transfers' and 'tenketsu treatment'. Both of which were painful and in the case of the transfer, now considered forbidden.

"Why?" Shizune mumbled to herself, setting a scroll aside and picked up Tsunades notebook, which was filled with the familiar hastily written, slanted handwriting of her mentor. Shizune of course was a very good medic, gifted really, but reading those notes made her feel like an idiot. She got the jist of certain parts, but over all, she didn't understand a single word that was being said.

Puzzling over the passage she had just read, Shizune continued reading the notes, but they got even more cryptic and puzzling until she didn't even have a clue where Tsunade was going with her research. What exactly did she mean by 'ubiquitous chakra agents' or 'chakra conduit constructs'? It made no sense, there was even a reference to something involving a 'chakra hemoperfusion'.

"Tsuande-sama, I brought the book as you- Shizune-san?"

Looking up startled, Shizune found Nara Shikaku standing the doorway, puzzled. Then she noticed the thick book he was carrying and her mind raced toward the obvious conclusion. "Shikaku-san, did Tsunade-sama request that you let her use your clan's medical research?"

"Yeah," the man said entering the room, eyes sweeping the contents of the desk before setting it carefully on a stack of folders, "normally we'd refuse, but this is Tsunade-sama. If she needs it, then we'll let her have it."

"Did she say why she needed it?"

"Nope, she requested that we hand it over to help with her research," the Nara explained, hands in his pockets. "Do you know what she's looking for?"

"Of course!" Shizune said, then seeing his blank look smiled nervously, which only made him sigh and scratch the back of his head.

"Man, as Shikamaru says, this is so troublesome," Shikaku sighed. "Just make sure she returns the book when she's finished ok?"

"I will," Shizune promised, meaning it. The Nara book was a treasure trove of medical and herbal knowledge unmatched in any other country. Whatever Tsunade was looking for would probably be locked away in the incomprehensible records of the book.

Shaking her head, Shizune sighed and turned her attention back to the papework she had brought in and decided to finish it. She'd talk with Kiyoshi about what she had found, together maybe they could puzzle things out and find out why Tsunade was looking at such an impossible thing to cure. Still, it couldn't be all bad, Tsunade had completed her work for yesterday.

Smiling to herself and the small pig that trundled into the room, Shizune felt all was right in the world.

* * *

The massive Great Wall that surrounded the border of Hi no Kuni loomed before them like a specter, imposing and impenetrable. Naruto could remember the first time he had seen them. They were just as impressive now as they had been then. He could see the lookout post's darting structure and the numerous samurai on patrol.

Beyond those gates would be the land of Tai no Kuni and this mission would be well underway.

His first mission, alone, since coming back from his training trip. Glancing at the ambassador, he wondered briefly, if things would really go as smoothly as expected. Naruto hoped they did, this was a good thing for all involved, plus the less fighting he would have to do the more time he had to do missions.

Turning his attention back to the wall and the gates, he fished in his pocket and produced the required papers. A few minutes later, he handed them over to a bored looking guard, who glanced at them for a moment. Then checking the seal, he handed the documents back and turned, motioning for the gates to open. The gesture made Naruto wonder about the casualness of this compared to the last time he had went through a check point.

"Its due to this being the gate to Taki no Kuni," Taishi explained, following Naruto past the other samurai, through the arch and to the other side. "After all, they are the closet thing Hi no Kuni has to an ally."

"You said something about that back in Kusa," Naruto said absently, scanning the immediate country side for danger and then leading the way.

"I believe I did," Taishi agreed amiably.

After that conversation died and Naruto was left to take in his surroundings. The air was for the most part silent, save for the semi-hushed sound of falling water and a mild haze that covered the land. It also didn't take him long to realize that Taki no Kuni had a major overabundance of waterfalls, every few feet there was a waterfall.

The road curved and twisted of course, when they drew near to one that haze grew thicker and the sound louder. Yet it was no where more obvious than when they reached a massive waterfall that seemed to go on into the heavens forever, the rushing wall creating a billowing cloud of mist and the roar forcing them to shout to hear each other.

"This is the Hi no Kuni Waterfall," Taishi shouted as he gestured at the massive waterfall on their left, "there's another on the border to Tsuchi named-"

"Let me guess, Tsuchi no Kuni Waterfall!" Naruto shouted back, hurrying them along, sightseeing could wait till after the mission was done after all.

"Correct," Taishi said once they were far enough way to no longer have to shout. "Obviously each one is named for the country they border, as well as being renowned for their beauty. It is even theorized that some strange hidden technology provides the two countries with their abundance of electricity."

"So, is that why we keep them in our good graces?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Oh no, of all the countries on the continent Tai no Kuni is the only one to have never been invaded in any Shinobi War."

"Never? How the hell did they manage that?"

"That," Taishi said glancing at him, "is something we'd all love to know."

Naruto nodded, keeping pace beside the older man. It was slightly unnerving how easily they roamed through the country side, no sign of ninja anywhere, or civilization for that matter. Plenty of forest's, damp air, and waterfalls though. The further they went, the more Naruto grew uneasy and the deeper his frown became.

"Oi, shouldn't we have seen a ninja or a village by now?"

"We have," Taishi said causally, then glancing at him pointed at a small waterfall in the distance. "Taki no kuni's villages are all built behind the waterfalls. We must've passed at least seven or eight villages by now."

"Strange," Naruto muttered before shaking his head. Then again, on his travels he had seen much stranger things. Homes made entirely out of ice and snow, people living underwater their whole life, protected only by a special barrier supported by seals.

It was a strange world; far stranger than he had ever imagined.

He was not so caught up in his thoughts however, that he didn't miss the fact that they were being watched. It wasn't hostile, that much he could tell, just a careful observation. Probably Waterfall ANBU, or maybe just village guards.

Glancing at the ambassador who was busy enjoying the nature around him, Naruto stopped abruptly at a spike of killing intent directed at him.

Taishi stopped as well and turned, his face a mask of curiosity. "What is it?"

"They don't want us going any further," Naruto said simply, carefully keeping stock of his surroundings. He could feel them still watching, but the spike of killer intent was gone. Obviously, they wanted them to stay where they were at, but why Naruto didn't know. Until he did though, Naruto wasn't going to risk going any further.

"Well we can't stay here, it would seriously jeopardize the meeting. The other countries could believe we're planning treachery..."

"Yea, well we ain't movin," Naruto said firmly. "My mission is to keep you alive and they made it obvious that if we go on then we'll be attacked."

"Don't worry," a new voice said from just ahead, followed by a man dressed in causal blue ninja gear and a Waterfall Forehead protector appearing from around a boulder. "They just wanted to make sure I got here in time to escort you to the village."

"Ah, see I knew it was nothing serious," Taishi said glancing at Naruto, who didn't let his attention waver from the man.

"I'm Suigai, Takigakure no Sato Jōnin," the man said glancing between them politely.

"I'm Ambassador Taishi from Hi no kuni."

"Naruto."

If Suigai was upset or bothered by Naruto's curt and simple introduction, he didn't show it. He merely smiled and turning, gestured that they should follow him. Nodding to signal Taishi to do as beckoned, they both trekked after the man who was setting a brisk pace.

It wasn't that Naruto didn't believe the man was who he said he was, it was just that Naruto was used to dishonesty in this sort of situation. Yuki no Kuni's civil war had been full of examples, so it was only natural that Naruto remained uneasy about their guide. At least until, ten minutes later they came to a stop at the bottom of a large cliff.

He took a moment to admire the sheer height of it and followed both Tiashi and Suigai as they turned a corner and passed between two huge rocks. It was odd how you adjusted to a noise so much that you ignored it, Taki no Kuni's very air had been filled with the faint sound of falling water, but suddenly it was no longer faint. Stretching before him was a massive waterfall, at least a hundred feet high and a hundred feet across and it filled the air with the sound of thousands of gallons of water crashing into the fast moving river at its base.

Wow...

"Its impressive," Suigai said off handily, turning to glance at Naruto and Taishi, "however, don't try to go straight through. If you do that, youll likely be pulled down to the bottom and crushed under the pressure. If not crushed, then at least drowned.

"So then, how do we reach the meeting?" Taishi asked, glancing away from the sight.

Theres a safe path where the water isnt coming down quite as hard, its very narrow so we'll have to go single file, Suigai explained, gesturing at a small, hidden crevice just to the side. "Once inside, we'll have to take the underwater tunnel, which we'll come up in the Lake on the inside.

Inside the mountain? Naruto asked, eyes widening slightly in surprise. That was a bit unexpected, but more importantly he was begining to get an idea why it was so hard to take the village.

"Of course," Suigai said brightly, "why do you think our village is called Takiagukre no Sato?"

"Good point." Naruto sighed, resigning himself to getting wet.

* * *

**AN:**

Normal update schedule for this fic is the 10th and 20th of every month. So after this you won't get another update until Nov. 10th...that is all.

* * *


	5. Chapter 3: Nothing Special

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 3:  
_-Nothing Special-  
_By Geor-sama

* * *

Mitarashi Anko was an expert in assassination, which was why she'd received the task of killing Danzo three years ago. Not that it made much difference within Unity, they were still there and active, just less coordinated. She also deserved the whispered title of 'psycho', for her past was soaked in blood and darkness, her soul tainted.

Violence, a hissing voice urging her to do the unthinkable to those around her and pain were the beats of her heart.

Indeed, to say that people feared her would be an understatement of epic portions, ANBU -Trainees and full- were terrified of her for good reason. Even the Hokage, the strongest ninja in the village, treated her cautiously. The only one in the village that didn't view her in such light, would be Uzumaki Naruto, but then again he was Naruto and rather insane in his own right.

Anyway, the main point was that when she found something disturbing it was, well, disturbing.

There was no doubt either that she had found something very disturbing, Anko had been hunting for Jiraiya, the Sannin that had trained Naruto for the last three years, all day. She'd even sent the ANBU Trainee's on the mission to locate the man. They had scoured every onsan in the village, even the small pleasure district, but the man had avoided detection completely.

Well he was a Sannin, only to be expected, but that wasn't the disturbing part.

No the disturbing part came after she found the man sitting calmly on the wall of the village staring at the skyline. Beside him sat, not sake, but tea, and it was only when she approached him that disturbing entered the picture. Jiraiya noted her presence and glanced at her, but he didn't leer at her scantily clad body.

_That_ was the disturbing part.

For as long as Anko could remember, ever since she had developed breasts and a taste for fish netting, the man had leered at her. Hell, he leered at every woman he saw; it was the natural order of things. Like her obsession with making things bleed, or Naruto with Ramen, they were things that simply were and so that lack of leer, of non-perversion, was unnatural in a way that made other unnaturalness seem normal.

Sitting down next to him, kicking her legs over the side of the wall, they sat in silence for several long minutes before he finally spoke.

"The world is a big place."

Anko blinked looking at him strangely, of all the things to say, that had made no sense that Anko could glean. He didn't look at her, instead staring off into the distance but he grinned in a way that made her relax instinctively. Say what you would about the pervert, but he did have a way of making you feel comfortable at times, though at other times he could scare the shit out of you.

"He's as strong as I could manage in such a short amount of time." Jiraiya said after a moment, still not looking at her "he's at least as strong as you."

"Yeah, sure." Anko agreed in a dismissive tone, despite being interested in Naruto's development the current situation took more priority. "Now you want to tell me what the fuck is wrong with you? Cause you're sorta creeping me out here."

"I'm just feeling my age. I'm in my fifties after all, I'm wearing down." Jiraiya said with a shake of his head, closing his eyes and letting out a heavy breath.

"You just need to do something to make you feel young." Anko said with frown, taken back by seeing such a powerful ninja weary with age. Even the Sandaime had never gotten to this point. Tsunade certainly never seemed to act like that, the buxom woman still acted as if she were in her twenties, to match her image.

"Well," Jiraiya said slowly, before opening his eyes and grinning at her suggestively "they do say sex with someone younger can act as a fountain of youth."

"I'm not getting on my back just so you can feel young!" Anko shot back, and at his mocked hurt look, shook her head in exasperation. Apparently, he'd just been trying to set her up for that, as if such a pickup line would actually work. Anko paused, mind drifting toward how to adapt it for her own use, but then cast it aside as impractical.

"You're so cold, you should open up more." Jiraiya said with a sigh and leer "and hey, if you don't want to get on your back, there's always dog-"

"Finish that sentence and I _will_ kill you." Anko promised curtly, interrupting the man, though secretly amused. He affected a hurt look but wisely chose to leave his sentence unfinished, which made Anko grin. It was so nice to have the natural order of the universe restored, her sense of forbidding doom eased up at that and she leaned back on her hands. "So about Naruto, you said you made him as strong as me?"

"Yeah, close enough anyway. Like you, on his best day he can just manage to touch my level." Jiraiya said, looking away from her sourly "there were 'issues' that made things tricky though."

"Ah." Anko managed, getting the hint. Issues most likely meant 'Kyūbi', but what exactly the demon could do to complicate the training while sealed escaped her. Still, to be at her level or close to it even, was no small feat considering that it would have taken her even longer to get him to that level?

"Anko, just so you know he's a good kid, but he's got darkness inside him. If he's not careful, if _you're_ not careful, then it's going to eat him alive."

"What do you mean?"

"He's a sociopath." Jiraiya said before hesitating "even with '_it_' trying to encourage and influence him, he's resisted giving in completely, but still, mild or not, he's a sociopath."

"No," Anko breathed, leaning forward as if struck in the stomach. Naruto a sociopath, her anti-social and violent tendencies had found a new home. The Jōnin couldn't bring herself to take comfort in the knowledge of his somewhat untainted soul; even a little darkness was too much. She tried to argue that it was only because of the Kyūbi, but she could not manage that, no, even with the Kyūbi it had to be because of her influence on him.

"Also," Jiraiya said after a moment, his tone absent "his temper in a fight is a little shorter than I would like. I think it's due to his 'bloodline', but the madder he gets the more unstable he becomes. He's got a decent handle on it for the most part, but he can be easily provoked in a fight."

"So," Anko said, licking her lips, feeling despair "he's an unstable sociopath?"

"Only in a fight, just like his sister." Jiraiya answered, giving her a meaningful look "it's funny but you were actually a good example for him, so don't get too down on yourself. Besides, he's leaning to keep his temper when provoked so it might be that we have nothing to worry about."

"I...thank you," Anko managed, mind whirling and racing. Largest among her thoughts was the angry recrimination she held for herself, after all the effort she'd went through to avoid tainting him, and he still ended up like her. Tainted, foul, dangerous and no doubt, he took a pride in the edge that gave him but she lamented that.

Still it was her sensei's fault in the first place, if Orochimaru hadn't ruined her like he had, then she in turn would have not ruined Naruto. Her jaw muscles tightened and she almost growled, oh yes, the time would come when Orochimaru would suffer for his crimes. Anko would see to it, beyond a doubt that the bastard would pay for his sins.

"Anyway, I'm going out of the village for a while so keep an eye out for things." Jiraiya said, getting to his feet and stretching before turning to look down at her "by the way, I appreciate the show, but you might want to think about a longer skirt when you're not wearing panties."

Anko could only stare after the legendary ninja as he hopped off the wall and disappeared into the treetops on the other side, a faint blush on her cheeks.

* * *

Emerging from the submerged waterway and surfacing in a cave Naruto felt the whole trip was pointless. As far as he could see, there was nothing there outside of wet stone and lizards of some sort. Treading water for a moment longer, taking in his surroundings, the blond snorted before swimming to the steps that led to land where his Taki escort and the Ambassador were already standing.

Naruto trudged his way up, water streaming from his clothes, shivering as the cold air hit the wet fabric and skin. He considered a playful complaint, but it was impossible to hear anything other than the roar of water. It was an echo chamber; Naruto decided darkly, the obvious thought had been toward ensuring an invading enemy could not communicate.

Satisfied both of them were present, Suigai motioned for them to follow and Naruto nodded. Taishi fell into step between the two, oblivious to the fact that he was now obscuring Naruto's vision. Not that the blond would have said anything, even if he could, he was more interested in the double doors that were now looming ahead from nowhere.

Reaching the doors, each bearing a Taki symbol, Suigai patted the surface in a strange pattern. Naruto felt a moment of curiosity about that, but the doors opened and guards allowed Suigai inside. They spoke briefly, how they heard each other with the noise of the waterfall Naruto didn't know, and the Jōnin motioned Taishi and Naruto inside.

Taishi started forward, but Naruto beat him to it. His experience and paranoia made him need to enter first, on the chance that this whole thing had been set up just to kill the ambassador. Stepping across the threshold of the cave, Naruto was shocked to discover several things.

Takiagukre no Sato, the name conjured up certain images. Stereotypes, if you will, of homes built into a dank and dark cave, the deafening roar of falling water, and chilled air. The reality on the hand, shattered those and many more, it was far from the stereotype as you could get.

However, once you stepped through the entrance, the sound of the waterfall disappeared and you went through an instant drying effect. The air was not chilled, but suffused with a comfortable warmth and well-lit but as if the light came from nowhere. Naruto stood there, taking in his surroundings and realized the secret in an instant.

Seals.

While no master like Jiraiya, Naruto knew more than enough to figure that out. The complexity of such sealing staggered his mind; he tried to picture the complex lines and patterns. The chakra requirements, balancing the elements so precisely, but it seemed beyond his scope and he shook his head turning his attention toward the village itself.

Taki village sat inside an enormous cavern and at its heart resided a massive tree that seemed to _glow_. Around it, and through it, ran a river splitting the village into smaller groupings of pleasantly looking homes. Travel between neighborhoods seemed to be done by using bridges, another sign that the builders were thinking in defensive terms.

"Welcome to Taki no Sato," Suigei said brightly, moving to stand next to Naruto "now just follow me and be careful not to fall off the bridges. The water has a nasty effect of create paralysis."

"Sure." Naruto said, knowing that there had to be more than just that, falling into step behind Taishi who followed the Jōnin. There was no creak as they stepped on the boards; even more impressive was the lack of sway to the bridges or ripples in the water. Naruto kept his attention bouncing, mostly because he found it boring now that they were actually inside the village.

The neighborhoods were cheerful and happy, the business districts busy. It wasn't until they reached the center most section that they found the most interesting thing in the village. The massive, glowing, tree loomed over them from the center island with buildings built among its roots and Naruto swore he heard what sounded like faint words coming from the tree.

"This tree, it hums?" Taishi asked, amazed and in awe.

"Yes, we call it the Takiguchi, but we're not sure why it hums." Suigai said gesturing at a building where Taki ninja seemed to be swarming "we've set aside an office for you, and Uzumaki-san our leader the Takiyurai has arranged for a guided tour of the village while the ambassadors discuss the Chūnin Exams as a courtesy."

"As a courtesy?"

"Yes, while it's all well and good for the ambassadors to discuss this, ninja will have to take a look around to ensure their comfort." Suigei explained and Naruto nodded, figuring that there was some merit behind that. Besides, the Hokage and Taishi seemed to view Taki as a non-risk, so he would take the tour and learn what he could.

"Can my guide be a woman, preferably with 36C-27-36 measurements and a low tolerance to sake?" Naruto asked, grinning in that way he had revealing that he had _indeed_ studied with the worlds greatest pervert.

Suigai blinked and started laughing.

* * *

Entering a tree lined clearing, one of many found within Konoha, Ino wondered if being a well known Kenjutsu expert was worth it. Normally she didn't entertain such thoughts, but today was different. It was the first time as a special favor to the Hokage, that someone had asked her to spar the son of a visiting Governor.

Ino had mixed feelings about such a favor -especially since Anko had asked-, but as a loyal Konoha ninja she had agreed. What other choice did she have, the request really came from the Hokage and he was the strongest ninja in the village. Hence the mixed feelings: it _was_ something of an honor to be asked but with everything else she had going on -ANBU training and trying to reach Jōnin- it would take time from her. Of course the biggest annoyance was that she would be sparring someone that would not take the match seriously.

"You must be Yamanaka-san," a voice said and Ino turned her attention toward the owner. He was tall, average looking, but dressed in the uniform of a Hi no Kuni samurai and he wore the swords of his station proudly at his waist. "I'm General Endo Naotsune, Hatamoto of Governor Okita Kazutoyo."

"Ah," Ino said, eyes' widening slightly, a Hatamoto was not someone you met every day. "Nice to meet you Endo-san."

"Is this the swords expert?" a younger, brasher voice asked and Ino glanced in its direction. He looked young, just entering his teens, maybe five foot and regarded her with a look of casual arrogance on his delicate features.

"Ah, yes Ekei-sama," Endo said glancing at the boy and then back at her "may I introduce the eldest son of Governor Okita Kazutoyo, Okita Ekei."

"Nice to meet you." Ino said with a slight incline of her head, which prompted the boy to scowl at her.

"She's not very polite," Ekei said, addressing Endo.

The General mastered a sigh and turned to address the younger boy. "Please excuse her young lord, but she's a ninja and is not used to formality."

"Well," the boy drawled "as long as she is a competent with her sword."

"I assure you Ekei-chan," Ino said sweetly, pleased at the flash of anger in his eyes "I'm more than 'competent'."

"You are not only impolite but disrespectful." Ekei said heatedly, face turning red as he grasped the hilt of his sword. "I am the son of a Hi no Kuni Governor and I demand respect as such."

"You can't demand respect," Ino countered "it's earned. Now then, Endo-san, what kind of sparring mat-"

"This is not a sparring match." Endo interrupted, a tad reluctantly. "Ekei-sama wishes to properly test his skill in a first-blood confrontation."

"...Are you serious?" Ino asked, startled, glancing at the boy and then back at the General "How many fights has he had?"

"This will be the first real test for him." The man admitted, than at her incredulous look added "however, he has been wining all of his sparring matches within the castle."

"I don't know." Ino muttered, glancing at the boy "are you sure you want to do this? I'm undefeated; maybe you should consider starting with someone closer to your level."

"I asked for this," Ekei said firmly "once I defeat you I can face my father as a true samurai."

"Oh boy," Ino sighed, reaching up to grasp the hilt of her own sword "if you're sure, then attack whenever your ready."

"Why?"

"Because you're the challenger," Endo said with some amusement "the challenger always attack's first."

"Fine!" Ekei said and then pulling his sword, charged across the clearing and revealed everything Ino needed to know. He had some skill, his steps were firm and even, his posture was decent and he kept both hands on his katana. He swept it back and over head, while his knees bent for a jump, which came a second later.

Ino side-stepped, parrying his blade aside, then gave a half-hearted swipe at his exposed back. The boy recovered deftly enough and managed to move away and turn so that he blocked her attack. Ino pressed forward with a series thrusts to the head, mostly to see his reaction; Ekei parried each thrust but never countered.

He was trying to play it safe, not a bad strategy in his position. Kodachi coming around, after the latest thrust, she attempted to bait him by creating an opening to her mid-section. Surprisingly he didn't fall for it and instead retreated, settling into a solid beginner's defensive stance, eyes not wavering from her as she paused to consider him.

"So, are you giving up?" Ino finally asked, twirling her kodachi to rest in the crook of her arm and other hand on her hip. At his look she grinned "well you retreated didn't you? That means you're giving up."

"I. Am. Not. Giving. Up!" Ekei shouted charging once more, sword sweeping to the left, for a horizontal slash. Ino stepped back to avoid the slash, then titled her head to dodge a thrust at her head. Ducking she went under the thrust-turned slash at her head then pushing off with the ball of her foot, moved away forcing him to chase her.

Better, Ino decided after dodging another slash, glad that he did know how to attack. It was just that he either wasn't used to counter-attacking or didn't like to, which Ino could sort of relate to, but either way it would prove a deadly flaw. She'd discuss it after the match, give him a tip, and it would help let her right wrist recover a little more.

Stupid Anko.

Dodging away from a now panting Ekei she twirled her blade back into a proper position. Ekei didn't seem willing to let her go back on the offensive, but had to duck beneath a slash and dodge a thrust for his mid-section. Back on the defensive, his eyes grew bright with panic as Ino pressed her attacks forward, but careful to stay roughly near his level.

Breaking off she twirled her sword and charged back in, startling the off-balance child, bringing her right hand up sharply. Ekei reacted on instinct, attempting to block the blow, but instead struck only air as Ino pivoted around. Her kodachi, held in her left hand, lightly grazed his cheek as she passed and coming to a stop she turned to grin at him.

"That's match."

"Huh? But I'm not-" he paused, then seeing Ino touch her cheek with a grin he did so. Discovering the barest hint of blood, he blinked staring at her and then at Endo who clapped.

"Truly an excellent match Ekei-sama," The general beamed before addressing Ino "your skill is well earned as well, Yamanaka-san. Perhaps someday we'll have a chance to have our own match."

"I look forward to it," Ino said with a smile as she cleaned her blade and sheathed her blade. Done she turned her attention toward a disgruntled Ekei who looked as if he was ready to chew nails. "You're not bad, but you should learn to counter-attack. Remember, when an opponent attacks, he is always slightly vulnerable."

"Excellent advice." Endo said with a bright smile walking over to pat Ekei on the shoulder "you should thank her for such a good match."

"Why?" the boy asked, sounding annoyed "it wasn't like I could actually fight her. I had to hold back to much."

Ino blinked, as Endo made a motion that said 'stop talking'.

"I mean, she's a _girl_ and I can't fight a girl at full strength. If I did-"

"Excuse me," Ino said slowly, anger boiling "are you saying that I won because you held back?"

"Exactly!"

"And you held back because I'm a girl."

"Of course!"

"If you think it'll be different," Ino offered, drawing her kodachi and holding it loosely at her side "let's go again. Come at me with everything you have."

"Ekei-sama-"

The boy however, ignored the warning of the more experienced man and stepped away and forward. Ino watched as he adopted his ready stance -left foot back, sword up near his cheek on the right, edge up and the tip pointed at her- then grinned. So he was going to us that stance, well so much the better, the attack choices were limited.

It'd either be a thrust, toward her chest or face, or a slantwise stroke to her right.

"Come on," Ino taunted and he lunged with a battle cry, sword steady, hips and shoulders shifting for his strike. It would be a thrust as the blade started toward her without a hint of hesitation. Her kodachi flashed out with a casual grace, followed by Ekei's sword snapping in half, and with a startled cry he dropped the shattered weapon.

Ino moved without a hint of motion, one hand shooting forward to grasp the over-collar of his kimono, while her kodachi's tip came to an abrupt halt against his forehead. "Now then _little boy_," Ino said in the tone normally associated with the battlefield "I am Yamanaka Ino, Hitokiri of Konoha. You have as much hope of ever reaching my level as a snake does of flying."

A beat, those terrified wide eyes staring up at her as a bead of blood trailed down between his eyebrows, before slipping down the side of his nose.

Ino withdrew her sword and stepped back, not breaking eye contact with him. With a causal disdain she flicked her right wrist out while pulling the back of the hilt to the left, clearing her blade of blood. Nodding at a despondent Endo, she sheathed her weapon and turning on her heel, walked away mind focusing on two things.

One) buying ice for her now throbbing wrist and two) killing Anko slowly with a great deal of pain.

* * *

It was the nature of ninja; the ones that lived long enough, to develop a certain amount of paranoia. This paranoia took various forms, some going to the extreme, but it was an unavoidable part of life. The most common and mildest form of paranoia was that of stashing weapons away in various places for the off chance you would need to fight there.

This actually became second nature to all experienced ninja, which was why an enemy was rarely foolhardy enough to allow his target the home-field advantage.

For a ninja like Jiraiya, one of the famous Sannin, nearly all the world was his home. He, unlike the others, travelled often to other countries and so had things stashed everywhere. However, the worse place to try to fight Jiraiya would be in Hi no Kuni, where he had stashed more weapons -and porn- than any human rationally should be able to.

Jiraiya also had one other, unique, form of paranoia.

He liked to create secret spots, private places where he could retreat and not be located. Being a sealing master came in handy and indeed, so far the only person that had ever found one of his secret spots had been an even greater sealing master the Yondaime. Orochimaru had found it annoying that he'd never been able to locate one and Tsunade had just been pissed off.

Of course, in her case, the only reason she ever wanted to find him was he'd pissed her off in the first place.

Jiraiya's favorite spot was a small house in the forest a few miles away from Konoha, isolated. It had been here that he'd penned his first Icha Icha book, from here, he'd mourned the Yondaime and from here he had ranted against Dan and Tsunade. So now, at the end of his life, it was to this 'secret' house that he returned to update a document that no other Sannin had ever created.

His Last Will and Testament.

Settling into the chair and the battered table, he let out a weary sigh. He hadn't been lying to Anko earlier; he was feeling all of his fifty-three years and even more. After all, how many people had to train and almost raise two men like Naruto and Minato?

Shaking it off he resolutely began forming seals, wincing as he felt his body tremble in pain. How many days or weeks this would take off, he wondered as he applied the summoning seal to the table and with a pulse of chakra summoned a folder. His hand trembled, and pulling it against his chest, clutched it tightly until it stopped.

Letting out a breath he opened the folder and selected a pen from his hip pouch, turning his attention toward the task. The first order of business would be marking out the Yondaime and replacing him with Naruto, after all what did Jiraiya need with his savings when he died? The royalties from the infamous Icha Icha series would go to the Konoha orphanage. This left only one person, the last person he could actually claim to be close to and that would be Tsunade.

The chair creaked as he leaned back, the pen bouncing between his fingers, his thoughts drifting. What could he leave her, would she want anything he did leave her? Their relationship was complicated in a way that made Anko's small crush on Naruto seem simple; he and Tsunade were siblings, enemies, best-friends, lovers that had never shared a kiss.

Yeah, things between him and Tsunade were complicated.

"Crap, this is going to take actual thought." the white haired man muttered, rubbing at his forehead "I shoulda brought sake."

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was not a ladies' man, much to Jiraiya's disappointment, nor was he an expert in manipulation. He pretty much subscribed to the school of 'maim now, question later', but he had learned a few tricks from his infamous sensei. Jiraiya had tried to teach him all ninety some odd tricks, but Naruto had only bothered memorizing eight.

When Naruto had first seen Kuenai Tenjouin, he'd taken a moment to study her face before letting a warm smile form. This trick, the slow smile trick, made it seem more genuine and that the person was special. The second trick, involved him turning to face her completely, giving the impression that all of his attention was focused on her which resulted in her ego being bolstered.

The third trick, as she smiled back, involved Naruto tricking himself into pretending she was an old friend. This resulted in his body language changing from 'on guard' to a relaxed and friendly style. Such a simple little trick and yet it could throw off and cause even experienced ninja to lower their guards.

Once introductions were out of the way, Naruto had struck up a conversation with her and started walking. From there, he'd listened to what she was saying and keying in on innocent seeming, but rather personal phrases; he'd prompted her to talk about them. After that, he merely had to parrot them back as questions to get her to explain things, which resulted in her talking more and without realizing it, she let more things slip.

For example, she was a year older than him and had just taken the Jōnin exams. So Naruto had asked about that and now knew a lot about how the village worked. Taki had a Jōnin Council which controlled most things, while the Taki leader had a moderate amount of authority. There were no civilians within the village, though very few people were active and the total number of ninja rather small.

Noticing the details of 'a few active ninja' and 'small number of ninja', Naruto had asked about her. This had resulted in her launching into a rather energetic story about her past, and that was the last trick. Because by getting them to talk about their selves and keeping the focus there, in a friendly fashion of course, made them more willing to talk and the longer it went the more they find you interesting and the more they wanted to tell you.

"-so after that, I had to buy him sake for a year." Kuenai said with a laugh, finishing her story about upsetting the village leader.

Naruto laughed as well, but was distracted by the Kage Bunshin he had secretly sent out, telling him that there was a total of ten seals surrounding the cavern walls. This was a fatal flaw in his earlier methods, because it allowed the conversation to lag and made his 'friend' turn the conversation toward him.

"So enough about me, you haven't told me anything about yourself." Tenjouin said brightly and Naruto managed to hide his surprise at the change in topic quick enough to do Anko proud.

"Well, not much to tell." Naruto answered, trying to seek something that could turn this conversation away from him. He was not skilled enough to keep side-stepping such questions for long.

"Not much to tell?" Tenjouin asked, with a hint of disbelief "You beat that Suna Jinchūriki three years ago didn't you? You've trained with a Sannin and the infamous Mitarashi Anko! There's got to be a lot to tell."

"Sounds like you know a lot already." Naruto said, barely managing to keep the paranoia and suspicion out of his tone. She had just revealed that they knew more about him than they should. Also, the term Jinchūriki made him even more paranoid, his private worry about being found out as one. Naruto did take some comfort in the fact that she hadn't used the more derogatory word 'eta' like they did in Mizu.

"Oh no, not at all! That's all fairly common knowledge, especially your fight against the Jinchūriki." She explained brightly "it's hard to keep a low profile after fighting something like that."

"Ah," Naruto said, turning to look at her "what can I say? I went around and trained, that's about it honestly."

"Look," Tenjouin said after a moment a hint of annoyance in her now lower tone "I know you got me to tell you more than I normally would. Most likely, the spies that are watching us know it and I'm going to get yelled at. So just give me something so that I can make them think that I deserve my rank and not be listed as a security risk."

"Let me guess, you've only got one more chance to prove yourself or something like that?" Naruto asked in a curt whisper, careful to keep an eye on the surroundings.

"...So are you going to tell me something or not?" she hissed, a note of anger in her tone.

"What's in it for me?" Naruto asked automatically, deciding that if she wanted to play it that way then he would drop his pretenses.

"You need more? I've told you a lot already you know."

"That's your problem," Naruto returned.

"Bastard." Tenjouin muttered, glaring at him "fine, what do you want?"

"Answer one question honestly," Naruto offered, thinking that she was lucky he wasn't half as perverted as Ero-sennin. Seeing her nod in agreement he considered what to ask her, he could ask about how they had managed to remain uninvaded but knew there was no way she would tell him that. Feeling her expectant look, he stared at her before deciding on what he would ask. "I've noticed a series of seals on the cavern walls, spaced out so that they correspond to one 'island' each."

"So you want to know what they do?"

"Exactly. I'm not that swift at seals," Naruto lied expertly "I know they do something, but not sure what."

"There just heating seals. They take ambient chakra and convert it into heat."

"Ah," Naruto managed, slipping behind his acceptance mask, knowing that there was more to them than just absorbing and heating. He also now knew either she didn't know or that she was lying through her teeth. "I see. I wasn't sure, but that would explain things."

"I'm so glad." Tenjouin muttered.

"So what'd you want to know Tenj-chan?" Naruto asked, smiling at her scowl.

"...Just like that?" Tenjouin asked, somewhat taken aback, as if she expected more of a fight. Naruto though had made an agreement and besides, this way she'd take whatever he told her with a grain of salt.

"Sure, only fair." Naruto agreed, putting his hands into his pockets "I mean, you've told me a lot. I'm an open book, ask away."

"Ok, what's your real rank? I mean, our records say Chūnin..."

"That's right. I'm still only a Chūnin."

"...You're kidding. After three years and your _still_ a Chūnin?"

"So is that it?" Naruto asked, stung by her comment, though he hid it.

"No. Ok, how'd you manage to survive the fight against the Suna Jinchūriki?"

Naruto fell silent for a moment, mulling over if he should answer that question or not. Well Mizu, Suna and Kumo already knew, or at least they knew the public story. So, why shouldn't he tell her the same old lie "I have an Advanced Bloodline called 'Tenkeichiyu', which allows for complete regeneration from any wound and ensures that afterwards I'm just that much harder to kill."

"Really?" Tenjouin asked, startled.

"Yes," Naruto confirmed, keeping the scowl of his face. Oh yes, up to a point it held true, but apparently there was a cap on the 'toughing up' aspect of the ability. That had been a shock to discover, but Ero-sennin hadn't been too surprised, after all, no matter how powerful the Kyūbi was, its power was hamstringed by a powerful seal.

So there would have to be a limit at some point, though the limit left Naruto much harder to kill than should be possible. He'd had a few enemies discover that problem, of course when they did find out they didn't have long to ponder it. Hopefully it would let him kill a few guys in black and red cloaks and one snake bastard, but he wouldn't count on it.

"Signature move?"

"Rasengan," Naruto offered, fighting to keep the smirk off his face. Oh it was his signature move, as far as he wanted everyone to know,, there was another move he wouldn't let out for all the ramen in the world. Well, maybe all the ramen and a nude Ino on the side, but that was unlikely to happen anytime soon.

"Is it true that you've killed Momochi Zabuza?"

"Well yeah, but that was three years ago." Naruto answered with a roll of his eyes before adding in an aside "Oh and I'm going to be the greatest Hokage ever."

"And you said there was nothing to tell." Tenjouin managed, sounding more than a little taken back from the knowledge.

"So I lied," Naruto offered with a boyish grin that he had learned from Jiraiya "spank me." At her glare, he turned his mind to other topics without worrying about keeping the conversation going. Namely, it was the 'heating' seals that occupied his mind, after all there had to be a bigger reason for them, plus why was only about ten percent of the population allowed to be active ninja?

It made no sense, but he'd figure it out.

* * *

_Plains of Sagahara, Kuma no Kuni..._

The plains were nearly silent; the only noise that of frustrated animals and the sound of shovels digging. The very countryside seemed to be holding its breath, while it sweated under the heat of the rising sun. This was Sagahara, the largest plain in Kuma no Kuni, the impending site of the latest skirmish against Kusa no Kuni.

General Iza shifted idly in his saddle, shading his eyes as she surveyed the field. The 'Hoshikage' had yet to respond, but there should not be a large need for them in this battle. Still, Iza would have preferred a few ninja on hand, Kusa no Kuni had been expanding rapidly lately and it was a little worrying how they'd managed to crush three of their opponents so swiftly.

"The plains should work to our advantage," he murmured absently. He reviewed his battle plans; his moderate Calvary unit would sweep down into the plains and trample the unprepared enemy. It had been foolish of Daimyo Hittori to send troops still weary from fighting against Tori no kuni, whatever experience they had suffered due to fatigue.

The sound of hooves disturbed his reflective moment and turning, he watched a younger samurai approach on horseback. New to the unit, his armor gleamed in the sun, as he got closer; Iza noted the smooth features of a man just entering adulthood. The young man reigned in smoothly and saluted with fist to chest "Iza-sama, I have a report from our scouts."

"Ah," the general managed, scratching his whiskered chin before sighing "what do they have to say?"

"Kusa's forces are stationary just on the other side of the river; they've erected a few crude wooden barricades just on the banks." The messenger reported before shifting in his saddle "Captain Okutan has reported that his battalion can sweep around them, but it will be difficult."

"Did you report to Okutan-san first?" the general asked casually, but inside his anger began to build at such a disregard for chain of command.

"No Iza-sama, he was there with me when I received the scouts report."

"I see," Iza murmured, making a mental note to keep an eye out for the captain and watch for treachery. Still, the man was competent and if he said they could do it, then he would not question the man. "Tell Captain Okutan that he is to sweep around to the side and crash through those barricades, and Captain Saijo to do the same from the opposite. I'll lead the main unit across the plain, directly into the enemy lines."

"Yes my lord," the messenger said, hand to chest yet again before wheeling his horse around and sending it galloping down the battalion line. The General watched for another moment and then satisfied, turned toward the upcoming battle. Those barricades would prove annoying, a good defensive tactic, but it would be marred since the barricades would no doubt hamper Kusa's own battle lines.

Fatigue made fools of even the best solders; Hittori should have realized that after losing the first few skirmishes. So far Kusa had yet to win a single skirmish, which as far as Iza could see came from the plans they enacted. All good, but ultimately flawed, yes fatigue was truly making fools of those poor samurai.

Heaving a sigh, he stared out over the plain and river, wondering if Karma had turned its back on those poor Kusa fools.

The sight of a banner waving to the side caught his attention and he glanced, confirming that it came from Okutan. He would flank, as would Captain Saijo apparently, which meant all that remained was for Iza to start the battle. Turning his horse away from the open plain, the general surveyed the regiments arranged behind him, their armor glinting.

A short ride down the rise and he was before the main group of the unit, all of them grim faced and determined. Unsheathing his Katana he raised it above his head with a furious shout, followed by the sound of a loud horn echoing through the silent air. With a roar, the Kuma cavalry charged from the tree line, hooves thundering, mud splashing high into the air.

Iza was vaguely aware of the two captains peeling off, leading their own regiments to toward the barricades.

Leaning forward, teeth clenched, sword held high, Iza urged his horse on silently. He would be the first across the river and would see these Kusa fools scatter like the chafe that they were. The sound of his heart filled his ears, growing louder with each passing second, but he did wonder why the enemy remained stationary in the face of the charge.

Then came the cruel realization that they had been tricked, a realization that Iza had as he saw a group of men moving their hands on the other side of the river bank. A realization that came as the first of numerous vines exploded from nowhere and everywhere, piercing through his upper torso like spears and unseating him.

The order to 'attack' from the enemy meant little as Iza passed into death with a gurgling noise, lying prone on ground in a mixture of blood and mud.

* * *

The Hokage couldn't help but sigh as he shuffled the papers on his desk once more, lamenting allowing Anko to talk him into things. When Governor Okita Kazutoyo had approached him about arranging a match for his son Ekei, Kakashi had been unsure of who to assign. So he had conferred with Anko -Tenjou had been busy- who had selected Yamanaka Ino.

Why, Anko wouldn't explain.

Glancing at the deranged woman absently, he found her leaning against the wall, eating her dango and staring raptly at the door. Awaiting Ino no doubt, the girl had done the job perfectly. According to Okita, Ekei had become something of a bully with the younger siblings and female samurai, so someone had needed to take him down a peg or three.

Turning back to his paper work Kakashi wondered why, if Ino had done such an excellent job, he felt something bad on the horizon. Signing yet another sheet of paper, to approve more money to the academy, he mused that the feeling came from Anko being involved. He came out of his thoughts at the sound of the door opening and looking up he started to say something, when he found Ino hesitating just inside the doorway.

Sensing something amiss, he motioned her to enter silently, while setting his pen aside. The blond seemed unwilling to talk, and he glanced at Anko who was grinning viciously while twirling a dango stick between her fingers. His stomach rolled as he realized she had done something, and knew instinctively that this would go worse than he had thought.

Considering how best to approach such a feat, he shifted in his seat and Anko decided to beat him to the punch. Slinking low behind his desk, the strongest ninja in the village began whispering prayers that his office would survive the fallout.

"So you _cut_ a Hi no Kuni's Governors son." Anko said her tone cold and sharp.

"Yes, but-" Ino started before Anko interrupted her.

"You not only cut him, but you humiliated him by snapping his sword in half?"

"Yes, but-"

"You humiliated him, cut him and then scared him bad enough to wet his pants?"

"Yes, but-"

"All of that, I could accept," Anko said calmly, in utter seriousness "but you gave him a lap dance?"

"Yes, but-" Ino started, then paused eyes widening before emitting what sounded like a growl "I did not* give that little chauvinistic bastard a lap dance! Is that what he's saying? Cause I would be more than willing to go castrate him."

Kakashi palmed his forehead at Anko's cackle and the growing killing intent filling his office. He should have known that something like this would happen, these two always ended up fighting. Anko just seemed to take a great delight in picking on the young woman many considered almost as unstable and deadly as Anko, and Ino would never backed down willingly.

"Anko," Ino grated out, the sound of a sword starting to leave its scabbard filling the air.

"Ino." Kakashi said in warning, with full authority and seeing the girls disgruntled look, he narrowed his eye. The girl released her sword and glared death at the older woman. Taking a breath he glared at Anko, who looked unrepentant, then shook his head turning back to the girl on the other side of his desk. "I have to say that you did very well, Anko's jokes aside, you did just like we expected you to."

"You...wha?"

"...didn't Anko explain," Kakashi started before snorting in realization "what am I thinking, of course she didn't. Ino-san, the Governor wanted someone that would fight his son and bring him to 'heel' for lack of a better term. I wasn't sure who to select, so I asked Anko. I _assumed_ she explained what you were doing there."

"Pft, no need to," Anko said, glancing between them "Princess here was the perfect candidate. I could have asked any ANBU, but Ekei needed the ultimate humiliation. He's chauvinistic so a female Kenjutsu expert would be best, which cut the choice down to Uzuki-san or the princess."

"But why didn't you explain-"

"I'm getting there," Anko interrupted with a smug grin at a disgruntled Ino "Uzuki wouldn't do because she's passive lately. He could have tried to provoke her but it wouldn't have worked. So I picked the Princess because A) she has a short temper and B) she's the most 'feminine'. I didn't tell her because she's pissed me off lately and I wanted to make her sweat."

"Bitch." Ino muttered, just loud enough that Kakashi heard it. Anko did too and in response sent her dango stick sailing past the girl's cheek, close enough to draw blood. Ino stared back, either frozen in fear -unlikely- or unimpressed -very likely-, which made Anko grin smugly.

"Yes, well, it was still a great job Ino-san." Kakashi said, trying to dampen the mutually murderous intent flashing between the two women. He really didn't want to have a brawl break out in his office, well maybe if they were in bikinis and there was a mud pit handy... "I appreciate the effort you took and the Governor was impressed as well when General Endo told us of your skill."

"Thank you." Ino managed tightly, glaring still at Anko.

"Well, uh, you're dismiss-" Kakashi started before Anko interjected once more, her tone sadistically happily.

"Oh but you're forgetting that the Princess here has to make up her ANBU training for the day."

"Excuse me?" Ino asked her tone deathly cold.

"Oh, surely you didn't forget that your ANBU training was scheduled for this afternoon when you were sparring Ekei right?" Anko asked sweetly, then mocked innocence by patting her cheek softly "Oh, did I forget to mention that I changed the time? Oops, silly me."

"Anko...." Ino growled, hands balling into fists.

"Come on Princess, just obstacle courses six through ten with a five minute time limit and a few hours of taijutsu training." Anko said in what passed for a reasonable tone "Oh and we had extra special training for building stamina tod-"

"If you think that I'm going to do that, you've got another thing coming." Ino managed darkly and Kakashi had to admit she sounded convincing to him.

"Actually I _know_ you're going to do it. Otherwise you're out of the Trainee Program, promotion to Jōnin is automatically denied for two years," Anko said, then added with extra vindictiveness "and a certain young man determined to be Hokage will find out about your lack of dedication."

The look on Ino's face told Kakashi that they had waded into dangerous waters and he cleared his throat, bringing the two women's quickly approaching mutual attempt at slaughtering each other to a halt. Seeing he had their attention, he addressed them both as only he could, ensuring that his heart genjutsu was at full strength. "Would you two ladies mind taking this 'who has the biggest tits' contest somewhere other than my office? Unless you'd like to wait around for me to build a mud pit."

"Fine." Ino grated out, before addressing Anko "I'll be waiting at the training field."

"Good." Anko returned, then when the younger girl left in a bottled fury she turned to Kakashi with a smirk "'who has the biggest tits' contest?"

"What? I couldn't say 'Pissing contest'," Kakashi shot back with a wry chuckle "I had to come up with something."

"Mhmm, well I win hands down then. Mine are much bigger than hers."

"Yes," the Hokage agreed, eying said anatomy "but hers _are_ perkier."

"...I can't believe you said that," Anko managed, in mock offense "when I tell Naruto he's going to be furious."

"Hah! He's a sixteen year old male; he's noticed every pair of 'em that's come in five feet of him. He can't hold it against me," Kakashi countered then paused in mock thoughtfulness, leaving the opening for Anko to say what he expected.

"You really are a pervert."

"Part of my charm," Kakashi returned absently, turning back to his paperwork "and Anko, please remember I would prefer it if you two refrained from killing each other."

"Spoil sport," Anko called out, before she closed the door behind her.

Kakashi sat there for another moment, then got up and fished on the top bookshelf before finding the special Hokage strength sake. He was going to need it for when the damage report came in from Ino and Anko's little tussle that would be happening soon enough. Sitting back down at his desk, the masked man almost pitied Naruto, until he remembered spending the last three years without his precious.

Naruto deserved those crazy bitches.

* * *

Takiguchi, the great tree and source of the Mizu no Jurei, seemed to hum silently in the stillness of the village. Those few that actually visited Taki always asked how it managed the humming noise, and always they were told it just did. The truth was, Takiguchi was a living tree, like those found in the ancient legends and myths.

Standing amidst the massive roots, touching the rough bark of the gigantic and old tree, the Takiyurai of Taki no Sato found it ironic that with all the ninja in his village one Chūnin could have outwitted them all. The Jōnin Council was outraged, claiming things like 'breach of trust' and 'betrayal of honor'.

Shibuki however, well he found it amusing and he at least it had been a Konoha ninja that discovered their secrets. Or at least one of them, the Mizu no Jurei remained unknown to any other than a few select leaders of the village. The Mizu no Jurei came from the main root of the massive Taki tree, and prolonged life.

In comparison, the fact that the chakra absorption seal had been discovered wasn't devastating. All that did was take the ambient chakra all ninja emitted and stored it away, using the combined power to provide lights and power the other seals throughout the village. The Takiguchi of course consumed a small portion, but that could never lead to the discovery of the Mizu no Jurei.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the man muttered with a wry grin, feeling sorry for the kunoichi they had assigned to be his guide. Who would have guessed that the boy could put a trained Jōnin into such a state of trust and comfort that she would reveal the seal, troop numbers, training methods and other petty details that Konoha most likely already had "I'll have to keep an eye out for him."

Patting the bark fondly, he began humming along with the tree.


	6. Chapter 4: Development

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 4:  
_-Development-  
_By Geor-sama

* * *

If there was one thing Hatake Kakashi hated about being Hokage, it was the paperwork. It never ended, even if he believed he had signed every single piece of paper for the day, there would always be more tomorrow morning. Kage Bunshin did not help either, he had spent who knew how much time the first few months in office, bewildered by random pieces of information.

Nor could he assign a ninja to be his clerk so that they could use his seal to sign for him. He quickly learned that unless he was aware of everything he was asked to sign, the politicians took advantage of the situation. So, needless to say, when his assistant knocked on the door and announced that Naruto was on his way, he was happy.

"Yo," Naruto said suddenly entering the office, the door banging open and then shut behind him.

"Naruto," the Hokage returned pleasantly, amused to see so much of Anko and Jiriaya in the boy's personality. The boy smiled and moving forward, plopped into a chair and stretched. "I trust the mission went well?"

"Was there any doubt?" Naruto returned and unzipping his jacket, he produced a scroll, which he promptly tossed at Kakashi. "Oi, Taishi asked me to give you that. Suppose to be all the details that were agreed too."

"Ah, so how was the meeting?"

"Boring as hell," Naruto answered, rolling his eyes. "So, when do I get my next mission?"

"After lunch," Kakashi said, setting the scroll aside for the moment, "about an hour after."

"Aww, but come on..." Naruto whined.

"One hour," the Hokage said firmly, before closing his eye in his trademark happy curve, "but I promise it'll be an A-rank mission."

"Hell yeah!" Naruto shouted.

"So, go do whatever, get lunch, be back here an hour later and you'll have your missi-" Kakashi paused, realizing that he was talking to an empty room and sighed. Part of him found it annoying that Naruto was so casual in his conversation with him, another part felt it was a good thing. After all, Naruto should be casual with him, look who he had interacted with growing up.

Hell, according to Jiriaya, Naruto had met both the Raikage and the Kazekage. There was also the Damiyo of Mizu no Kuni, the Yuki no Kuni Daimyo -wherever that was- and the leaders of few other countries. Was it any wonder that Naruto was so at ease when dealing with the most powerful ninja in the entire village?

Turning his mind to the matter at hand, he opened the scroll and began to read. It was pretty straight forward really. The exams would be held in an isolated waterfall. The examinees would have to stay there for two months or so. Instead of kages or daimyos, it would be a committee of Jōnin from the Five Great Shinobi Villages who would ultimately decided who passed or failed.

Resealing the scroll and setting it aside, Kakashi prepared to indulge in the newest volume of Icha Icha. Unfortunately, his office door reopened to reveal the buxom, slug taming, Sannin Tsunade who had her beautiful face set in a frightening scowl. Kakashi almost whimpered, he did sink further in his chair, because whenever she showed up in his office it was never a good thing.

The legendary medic entered regally, the door swinging shut without her bidding. Kakashi kept his eyes focused entirely on her face despite her impressive cleavage. The woman stopped short of his desk and crossed her arm's, her brown eyes boring into him and dissecting him.

"Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said, careful to keep from letting his fear and unease show. He was the Hokage damn it!

"Hokage-san," Tsunade said, tone clipped, making it clear that for the moment she was going to treat him as an equal. "I need you to assign a mission for me."

"What kind of mission?" the masked Hokage asked, pulling scroll and scribe together to note the details.

"Its A-rank and it'll need to be done immediately."

"Ok," Kakashi agreed, jotting it all down. "What exactly do you need done?"

"I need them to travel three miles east of the capital, there's a secret location that the Sannin used to use to hide information during the Second Great War," Tsunade explained, handing over a map before continuing, "I need all the scrolls stored there. They'll be encoded so that only another Sannin can read them. I cannot stress how important it is that they do not touch anything else or attempt to read any of those scrolls."

"Right," Kakashi agreed, already mentally creating a list. Rock Lee was a given and Yamanaka Ino, since she only needed another five missions for Jōnin status. He could send Naruto, but that could create problems. Besides Naruto wasn't suited for this sort of mission. That meant, Inzuaka Kiba who was the best tracker in Konoha.

"I'll pay triple the normal fee if they can get the mission done in a day," Tsuande added, jolting Kakashi out of his thoughts.

"Triple?" the Hokage repeated and stared at her, stunned. What was in those scrolls that she would willingly pay triple, especially when he was more than willing to assign this mission for free? "Why?"

"This is a personal matter," Tsunade said, eyes narrowing dangerously, "understand Kakashi?"

"H-hai," Kakashi nodded, picking up the dangerous undercurrent in her voice. Gulping, he watched her turn and walk out and breathed just a little easier. There was no telling what she would do in that mood. She had been the same way yesterday when she demanded access to all the medical scrolls in the vault.

She would find whatever she was looking for and that scared him far more than it should.

* * *

"Alright, just so were clear, no S-rank jutsu," Anko said, stretching as she led Naruto into the clearing. He'd turned up on her doorstep half an hour ago, asking if she'd like some dango and to spar. Anko, of course, had agreed, hang over or not.

"And no summoning?" Naruto asked, grinning at her, an almost excited air around him.

"Exactly," Anko confirmed with a nod, curious to see how Naruto had developed during his training trip. Naruto's development was important to her and depsite Jiriaya's assrurance, she really wanted to see how he stacked up for herself.

"So, any other rules?" Naruto asked, moving away from her so that they were on opposite sides of the clearing.

"Nope," Anko said with a grin, producing a kunai, "basically other than that we're free to try and kick the shit out of each other."

"We always try that," Naruto said smiling as he produced a kunai in each hand. "So ya wanna start us off, psycho?"

"Sure," Anko said, darting forward, weaving side to side before ducking under Naruto's kunai. Pivoting around, coat billowing behind her, she came up behind the boy a hand on his left shoulder, her weapon against his ribs. "Surprise."

"Surprise yourself," Naruto said from behind her and a second later she felt a kunai press against her own back.

Glancing over her shoulder, Anko raised an eyebrow at Naruto who was standing there. She turned and looked back at the Naruto she had at her mercy. Raising an eyebrow, she considered the situation then grinned, so Naruto really had gotten better. Ok, so now to get out of this situation.

A shunshin, combined with a Kawarimi, and she was across the clearing with Naruto charging after her. Grinning, Anko shed her coat and threw it into the boy's face, followed by a several shuriken. Naruto pivoted with a spin around the coat and deflecting her shuriken, charged her with a burst of speed.

They met with a sharp clang as kunai clashed, each grinning manically. Then they were racing away in a series of rapid shunshins and dizzying leaps from ground to tree, to branch and back to ground. Anko felt a strong sense of pride as they separated, both breathing heavier.

Naruto had matched her so far. He wasn't disappointing her that was for sure. Naruto's moves were fluid and he was using his knowledge of her style to his advantage. Plus his speed had increased so that it was closer to her own and his reflexes matched her own, making it clear that they were even.

It was time to kick it up a notch.

"Ready to get serious runt?" Anko asked brightly, itching to see just how good he really was.

"I've always been ready, ya psycho," Naruto countered, just as brightly, "but you know, being an old woman and all, I figured you needed time to warm up."

"Old woman?" Anko asked, eye twitching. "I'm not an old woman! I'm only twenty-four and I'll have you know, still sexy as hell."

"Ok," Naruto said with a wink and a smile, "I'll admit, as old women go, you got a smokin' hot body."

Anko growled at this and sent a barrage of kunai at him, forcing Naruto to push off the branch to another higher up. Anko was hot on his heels, nimbly dodging the kunai he threw. He suddenly pivoted as he came to the next branch and darted back down toward her, prompting Anko to grab a nearby branch and flip herself around, managing to plant a kick to the side of his head.

Naruto twisted from the blow and plummeted, before grasping a jutting branch and swinging around and up to land in a crouch while firing off a kunai. Anko prepared to grab the kunai and hurl it back at him when suddenly the single kunai became a few dozen. She quickly merged with the tree she was in, allowing it to absorb the damage.

A moment later she emerged, hand shooting forward, "Seneijashu!" The Snakes exploded from around her wrist, hurling toward the boy. Naruto's eyes widened, apparently in surprise then he grinned. Anko watched silently as her snakes twisted and turned thruogh the air, while Naruto professionally formed two rapid seals before extending his open hands before him.

"Futon: Byōbu!"

A second later, her snakes impacted against a barrier of wind, with such force that they exploded with smoke. Anko however, was already on the move, even as Naruto formed and threw a Kaze no Yaiba at her previous location. Reaching the ground, she turned and finding the boy plummeting after her, she formed the needed hand seals and exhaled a series of fire balls.

Naruto's face went grim as he formed a handseal, unleashing a brief blast of wind before him that scattered the flames. Landing, he shot toward her and Anko darted back, forming the hand seals to transform the ground into a river of mud. Naruto slipped and sank hip deep, prompting Anko to stop and with a grin shoot in at the prone boy, until he exploded upward with a blast of wind from beneath him.

Sliding to a stop, Anko watched as he rose over head the entire time forming seals. Turning as he landed behind her, again with a blast of wind to cushion his landing, Anko saw a vicious grin on the boy's face as he unleashed his ninjutsu. "Fūton: Kazeryudan no jutsu!"

Anko had a moment to process what he said before a dragon made of wind, took shape and came hurtling toward her. Eyes widening, she started moving, trying to avoid the technique following her. Dodging would only work for so long and with the amount of compression that wind had, there was no telling how freakin' destructive it would be.

Her only option was the Doton: Doryuu Heki.

Forming the needed hand seals, Anko spewed a line of mud on the ground that transformed rapidly into a large wall of earth. The wind dragon slammed into the barrier and shattering it, continued after her. She formed another barrier and then another, and one more before it finally failed. Coming to a halt as the dragon dissipated, she went on the offensive once again.

"Tsuin Jaianto Nenten Hebi no Jutsu!" Anko shouted, forming the hand seals before the earth rumbled and exploded as two giant snakes shot after the now airborne Naruto. The boy looked unsure about the development, but he quickly countered with a wind jutsu that decapitated both snakes and sliced a few trees in half.

Anko, however, was already onto her second attack, Suiton: Taihoudan. Having generated the needed water in her mouth, she spat it as a stream at a still airborne Naruto, catching him in the chest. The boy made a muffled sound as he crashed into a tree. Anko cut the jutsu short, watching as he fell in a heap against the branches before smacking into the ground.

Naruto's deception didn't fool her though, and she dodged a Kaze no Yaiba from the left, even as the Naruto she had attacked disappeared in a puff of smoke. Countering with her own Kaze no Yaiba, Anko couldn't help but grin as she forced the boy to use another blast of wind to protect himself. They were still about even, all things considered. It sent a thrill through her.

It had been a long time since she had been able to just cut loose against a fellow Konoha ninja, and something told her this was the first time since he had been back that he'd been allowed to go hog wild as well. Naruto reached up, unzipping his jacket and Anko smirked, deciding to kick things up yet another notch and see just how close to her own level he had gotten.

An Kairyou-Shunshin, which left after images behind her, carried her forward and surprisingly enough, Naruto met her halfway with his own Kairyou-Shunshin. Anko came in low, shifting her weight as she drove a punch at his stomach, only to have him grab her wrist and shove it down while jumping over her. Going with the momentum, Anko rolled forward and pivoting, shot at the still off blanace boy.

She caught him with a sidekick to the stomach, then a knee to the face that flipped him backward. Naruto tried to kick her as he flipped and Anko dodged back, then shot forward. This time Naruto was ready and neatly avoided her blow. He disappeared in the fashion of the Hebi style and reappeared, slamming a rapid punch-elbow combo into Anko's body.

Reeling away, Anko saw Naruto pouncing on her. She dropped back out of instinct, bringing her feet to catch the boy in his stomach and with her momentum, sent him flying. Rolling to her feet, she spun in time to find Naruto charging her once more. Advancing on him, she was momentrialy caught off guard as his jacket was suddenly tossed at her face.

Smirking at having her own trick thrown back at her, Anko grabbed the garment and tossed it away, only to receive a double footed drop- kick to the face. Flipping backward in a spray of blood, Anko managed to recover in a low crouch and kicked one leg out even as she skidded back. Coming to a stop, she felt her nose and mouth and confirmed that Naruto had made her bleed.

Play time was over.

Anko shot forward with a Kairyou-Shunshin, dodging a hail of shuriken, and on reaching Naruto, rose sharply. He tried to backpeddle, but Anko moved quicker, catching him with a right roundkick followed by a left to he jaw. Naruto staggered and cried out, as Anko dropped her stance to deliver several powerful punches to the ribs.

Naruto went down but recovered and Anko blocked a roundkick to the stomach. She ducked a roundkick to her head and swept his legs. It hit on his shoulder, but somehow, he managed to spin in place and then leap away, landing in a half crouch. Anko blinked at the unusual recovery, then began a series of rapid blocks as Naruto shot forward in an Adobansudo shunshin.

Things continued in this pattern for seveal long minutes before they separated, both battered and winded. Landing adroitly, Anko found herelf glowering at the blond opposite her. Her earlier elation that he had been matching her move for move was now gone. This boy was a serious opponent and Anko wasn't entirely sure she liked that concept.

Naruto, however, was spending less time thinking and more time attacking. As proven when he threw a kunai, which Anko deflected, only to discover another travelling directly behind it. Cursing, she ducked that weapon and threw her own, forcing Naruto to dodge. Only her's had an exploding tag attached and pelted him with chunks of earth as when it went off.

"Uindoken no Jutsu!" Naruto suddenly shouted, hands flying through the needed seals.

Anko had a moment of realization and barely managed to dodge, avoiding serious injury. Landing, she shot out her hand yet again and a torrent of snakes slithered through the air toward him. Naruto tried to move but this time the snakes latched onto his legs before he could counter. Yanking her arm, Anko pulled him around and slammed him against a tree.

Naruto hit with a sickening crunch, but recovered and hurled a spear made of wind at her. Releasing him, Anko weaved her way back and on halting, formed a handseal to capture him in a Genjutsu. The boy froze soild, eyes widening and blushing, as the illusion flooded his senses. Anko had chosen the most humilating thing she could think of.

Then a Naruto Kage Bunshin appeared from nowhere, slapping him on the back to shove chakra into his system before darting away. Snarling in frustration, Anko hurled a kunai dispersing the damn thing. However, in doing so, her attention wavered from Naruto who snarling charged her, hand sweeping back.

By the time Anko realized her mistake and how quickly he would be upon her, Naruto held a spiraling ball of chraka in his hand. He reached her between heartbeats, eyes blazing in righteous fury as he drove that hand forward "Rasengan!"

Realizing the danger she was now in, Anko swore, eyes widening. Still, she was a feared Tokubetsu Jōnin and she countered in the only way she could that would not get her killed. She caught the wrist of the hand holding the Rasengan, halting it inches from impact.

"You- You caught the Rasengan?" Naruto asked, in mild surprise, looking up at her.

"Yea," Anko grinned thinly, tightening her grip on the wrist, "I might not be able to freakin' use it, but I sure as hell can hold your wrist."

"Well damn," Naruto said, smiling thinly as well, "first time this has happened."

"How about this?" Anko asked, suddenly yanking his arm down so the jutsu connected with the ground. Then leaping away, she nailed his shoulder with a kunai, leaving it useless for the moment.

Things from that point grew more vicious, and three hours and several jutsu later, they were both walking wounded.

Anko's shirt was shredded in places and Naruto's almost non-existant. He sported bruises and a shoulder she'd repeatedly wounded, while Anko bled from shallow cuts and other assorted wounds. Separating after a paticularly brutal exchange, Anko gasped for air and wondered when the last time was she had a real fight with someone so close to her own level.

"Oi, I think this is it," Naruto said between deep breaths. "I gotta get lunch then see the masked perv about my mission."

"Ok," Anko agreed, preparing herself for the final clash between them, "lets see what ya got runt."

"You asked for it, you psychotic bitch!" Naruto countered. Wiping a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth, he shot foward, a kunai appearing in his still useable hand. Anko met him, albeit with a limp because of the kunai he'd stabbed in her thigh. Metal blades scrapped as kunai clashed violently between them. Eyes narrowing in the violent exchange, Naruto did something unexpected and swept her legs.

Anko fell back and slightly to the side, Naruto following to pin her. The Jōnin reacted quickly, however and grabbed the shoulder of his shirt tearing it. Her shoulders hit the ground and she brought her knees up hard, flipping him over and onto his back, knocking the air out of him. Anko rolled with the momentum, assuming a full mounted poisiton on him, kunai poised over his heart.

At the exact same moment however, she felt the press of his kunai against her stomach.

A tie.

"You've gotten better," Anko said breathing heavily, pride filling her along with the excitment that usually followed such an enjoyable fight. All things considered, Naruto was her equal, or at least, close to it. If this had been a life or death battle, Anko felt certain she could have killed him several times.

"Hehe, thanks," Naruto said, breathing just as heavily. "You're still awesome though."

"Mhmm, you're still a little raw, but experience will fix that," Anko admitted, grinning down at him, happy that he had asked for the match.

"Good to know," Naruto said, then after a moment blushed. "Uhhh, let me up now?"

"Why would I-" Anko started to say, before her eyes widened, and a very wicked grin formed. "Ooooh, somebody's excited."

"A-Anko," Naruto said, almost pleaded actually. Anko found she liked it and absently moved her hips, which made him blush even brighter.

"S'ok, Naruto," Anko said seductively, leaning down so that her mouth brushed his ear. "I'm excited too."

There was a moment of silence, and then Anko got up and helped him to his feet. Naruto coughed, blushing brightly and stood with slightly stooped shoulders to hide a certain development.

Anko grinned and patted his ass, walking past him to retrieve her jacket. "Not a bad work out. Better go see about that mission now."

Laughing, she left him standing there.

* * *

Normally, this close to a mission, Ino would be making sure everything was ready to go. Instead, she was standing in the check out line of the local grocery store, paying for food her mom wanted her to pick up. Not that Ino could say much. It was the price she paid for living at home without rent.

Sighing tiredly, she knew that she still needed to grab a quick lunch and double check her supplies. Stepping up, she pulled out her precious neko-chan, and counted out the money to the bored looking cashier. She turned to leave, only to jerk back in surprise at finding herself face to face with a grinning Naruto.

"Gah!" Ino shouted, jerking back, her bags falling as she did so. Eye twitching, she glared at the boy as he knelt to repack her bags. "How the hell did you do that?!"

"Do what?" Naruto asked innocently, looking up at her.

"Sneak up on me!" Ino started, then stopped unable to believe the innocent look he was giving her. He genuinely was confused by her outburst. "Oh, never mind."

"I never do," Naruto responded, happily handing her bags over. "So wanna grab some lunch?"

"I don't think I can," Ino said with a shrug. "I gotta get this food home for mom."

"Aww, come on! If you have lunch with me I'll tell you a story from my trip," Naruto said with a pout. "Oi, plus, my Kage Bunshin can carry those to your house."

"Well, I guess," Ino relented, handing over the bags to a grinning clone. It would be nice to have lunch with Naruto, plus there was the chance to hear about his trip. "I won't get to stay long though, the Hokage wants me to take another A-rank mission. I'm just five away from Jōnin now."

"That's great, cause he wants to send me on one, too," Naruto admitted, hands behind his head as they both walked outside. "Ichiraku ramen good?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Ino said, glancing at him then away, mentally debating whether to raise the question of the near kiss. If she thought about it enough, Ino could still feel his body pressed against hers, feel his warm breath on her face. The desire and the need to kiss him was enough to make her blush, which was something she wasn't used to doing.

Ino honestly couldn't remember the last time she had blushed like this. Still, she couldn't bring herself to broach the subject with Naruto, partly because she was trying to rationalize that it had just been a heat of the moment deal. Yeah, that was it, just a heat of the moment decision, nothing more.

Nodding decisively, Ino grinned to herself in satisfaction. She noticed Naruto had pulled ahead and her eyes unintentionally drifted down his back. Her gaze settled on his rear, prompting her to blush anew and quickly avert her gaze. She shouldn't be staring at him like that, he was a friend.

Besides, despite her teasing, Ino knew he wasn't checking her out every chance he got. She caught him glancing over his shoulder and then looking away, and Ino wondered if maybe she was wrong on that account as well. Further thought was set aside as Naruto entered the ramen stand and Ino quickly followed, finding it oddly comforting.

The light was dim here, the air filled with a delicious aroma and Ayame was behind the counter, chatting with Naruto.

"Ayame," Ino offered pleasantly with a friendly smile.

"Ino-chan!" Ayame beamed back, "Naruto was just ordering,"

"Ah, well, I'll take a small bowl," Ino offered, settling into the stool next to Naruto. "A girl's gotta watch her figure or no one else will."

"Of course!" Ayame said, shuffling away to collect Naruto's order from the old man.

Ino blinked, then nearly fell off her stool at the sight of two over sized bowls of steaming ramen being set before him. Those were the bowls used for the Hokage sized servings, something that she had heard of but never seen ordered.

"How can you eat that?" Ino asked incredulously, watching as the boy offered a tearful 'ikatamasu' and broke his chopsticks apart.

"Huh? What are you talking about, this is just the appetizer," Naruto said in surprise and Ino stammered unable to fathom what that meant. She was just barely aware of when her own bowl of ramen was set before her, another moment of watching him eat -which was oddly amusing- she turned away and focused on her own meal.

A few mouthfuls later, Ino remembered his earlier promise. "So, are you going to tell me that story or what?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," Naruto said, twirling his chopsticks in his seventh bowl of ramen absently. "Well, this story starts when Ero-sennin racked up some huge bills at this brothel and we were sorta outta money after renting the boat-"

"Wait, why'd you rent a boat?"

"To cross the ocean," Naruto explained casually, then grinned. "Its a long story Ino-chan, I'll tell you later."

"Ok," Ino relented, feeling a bit disappointed that Naruto had traveled so far and she didn't know a thing about it.

"Anyway, we were stuck in this little village on the coast of Water Country until he could pay off his bills. Well, they kept him in debtor's prison, which left me trying to earn enough money to pay it off. Kami, I nearly had a heart attack when I saw that bill. It was outrageous. Anyway, I looked around, desperate and found this job as a bounty hunter."

"You were a bounty hunter?"

"Yeah, not that different from being a ninja really," Naruto said with a shrug, before gulping down more ramen and continuing his story. "So the bounty I had to collect was for a thief and murderer called Gosunkugi, but it wasn't that easy 'cause apparently there were other bounty hunters after him. Sazanami was my biggest problem, every time I got close to Gosunkugi, that guy got in the way and fouled things up."

"Oh?" Ayame interjected, leaning against the counter, interest written on her face. "How'd he foul things up?"

"Well, one time I had this trap set. I was going to get Gosunkugi in a narrow pass where I could ambush him," Naruto explained with a frown. "It went fine, right until Sazanami came crashing into the trap and managed to let Gosunkugi escape in the confusion."

"Geez, if I didn't know better I'd think he was helping Sazanami," Ino muttered, shaking her head. "Besides, why was it that hard? I mean, you're a Chūnin hunting down some loser, should have been cakewalk."

"Correction. I was a ninja in a foreign country and under orders from Ero-sennin to do it without any ninja tricks," Naruto said, waving a hand casually. "Besides, I eventually did catch him. Just outside this shrine where he stopped to pray, my Kage Bunshin were all over him. Sazanami turned up a few minutes later and I captured him, too. Turns out he was a wanted man."

"Wait. Hold it," Ino said, blinking. "Didn't you just say you weren't supposed to do this without ninja tricks?"

"Well, I got frustrated. So sue me," Naruto said dryly with a shrug. "Anyway, once I turned them both in, there was enough money to pay off Ero-sennin's debt and buy some food. After that, we rented another boat and moved on, you don't realize just how much I love dry land after this trip."

"So where'd you go after Water Country?"

"South," Naruto answered evasively, then sensing her glare, sighed. "Fine. We went to this island. It was deserted and had nothing but ruins, the only impressive thing was that just beyond it was a large whirlpool."

"...does the island have a name?"

"Uzu no Kuni," Naruto said after a moment, his eyes dropping to the counter. "It was the first place the Kyubi destroyed and it where the Yondaime visited ten months prior to October tenth. "

"...you went..." Ino managed, eyes widening as the implications sank in about what he had just told her. He had went back to the land of his anscestors only to find an empty island. Reaching out, she touched his hand, offering him a smile when he glanced at her, then turned back to eating her ramen. She couldn't even imagine how he felt after discovering something like that.

"So after that," Naruto continued in a slightly more upbeat tone, "we went north to Kaze no Kuni and I met the Damiyo and the Kazekage! Man, are they big fans of Icha Icha. Anyway, I got to see Gaara again-"

"The psycho?!" Ino exclaimed, dropping her chopsticks and staring at her companion in surprise.

"Hehehe, yeah, it was interesting," Naruto said, smiling brightly. "He said something like, 'As long as there are people to kill, I will not cease to exist. I will gamble my life, my existence against you again...my sand screams for your blood and I'll be the one kill you.' Or some thing like that."

"...so he promised to kill you?" Ino asked blankly, staring at him unable to buy it. Gaara was one of the most dangerous and blood thirsty people she had ever met. "And you're not worried?"

"Nah," Naruto said, his eyes closing in that mischievous fashion of his. "After being on the same team as you, Gaara's a pussy."

"Baka!" Ino shouted, echoed by Ayame, then bashed him upside the head. "What kind of thing is that say to a girl?!"

"Oww, hey, I was giving you a complement!" Naruto shouted, rubbing his head. "Damn it, why'd you have to become a violent psycho? As if Anko wasn't bad enough!"

"HEY!" Ino shouted, outraged even more at even being compared to the older woman and bashed him upside the head again.

* * *

The young woman before him did not look the part of ninja, a pleasant face and bobbed black hair. Dressed in a mid-night blue kimono, eyes dancing with an innocence that most people in the village couldn't maintain. Yet, Shizune was a ninja, a medical ninja, though she had taken life but very rarely. Shizune had grown up caring for her mentor and the lover of her uncle, who had been her mission for so many years.

Now, Shizune was in his office talking to him, along with Kiyoshi, about Tsunade's research. It appeared that Tsunade, like so many other genius medical ninja, was looking for a cure to Fatal Chakra poisoning. It was a fool's quest, according to both Kiyoshi and Shizune, who also felt that it wouldn't hurt Tsunade to keep looking.

"After all," Shizune explained, tactfully, "with her this focused, things have never run smoother."

Kakashi reclined in his chair, eyes closed and thought about what he knew. He had seen this pattern before, first with Rin and her ill-fated experiments; then Orochimaru and finally, Sakura. Always, they started with the best of intentions, noble goals, that quickly became obsessions, that perverted their original purpose. Without fail, it never ended as they expected. Now, it seemed that Tsunade was determined to follow that path. She was obsessed and she was poring through all medical information in Konoha, including the forbidden ones.

To cure Fatal chakra poisoning.

Why that, why not something with a great impact on the population? What made Chakra poisoning so important and consuming that a medical genius like Tsuande, one of the legendary Sannin, would become obsessed with it? It was something personal he knew, but beyond that, he was as clueless as the others and he had to agree with Shizune.

"Alright, we'll let her keep working on this for the moment," Kakashi finally said, opening his eye to stare at the two. "I want you both to keep an eye on her though. If she starts acting like either Orochimaru or Sakura, let me know immediately. Otherwise, just watch her and see if you can figure out why she's so interested in this."

"Of course Hokage-sama," Kiyoshi said, bowing and gesturing politely for Shizune to lead the way, left his office. A grinning Naruto entered a few moments later and flopped casually into a chair before his desk.

"So, so, got my mission?"

"As a matter of fact," Kakashi said, pausingfor dramatic effect, "nope. Haven't even looked."

"What!?" Naruto shouted, leaping to his feet.

"Relax, I was kidding," Kakashi said, motioning the boy to calm down. "I just haven't made up my mind on which mission to give you, we have several backlogged after all."

"Oh," Naruto deflated and sat back down in annoyance.

Chuckling to himself, Kakashi turned back to the missions he had considered earlier, each would be a good use of Naruto's skills, but it might be better to give him another simple mission. Nothing quite as easy as the last one, he really didn't want to hear bitching about his easy missions, he got enough of that from Kiba and occasionally Anko when she went on one.

Assassination, it was then.

Selecting the scroll, he held it up between his fingers, eye curving up happily. "A-rank, double pay for the chances of hostility it could create. The client has requested the assassination of Gato, the head of a very wealthy trading and shipping company, who happens to be supplying Otogakure with weapons and other items."

"Aww man, Assassination?" Naruto asked, blinking even as he caught the scroll as Kakashi tossed it to him."They're so boring and you have to do them without being seen!"

"You sound just like Anko," Kakashi said fondly, remembering the woman who was his current ex and hence, a threat to his continued health if pissed off. Still, it didn't mean he couldn't be fond of the insane woman. "You know, she might be the most talented in Konoha at assassination, but she hates them 'cause she can't really show off as much."

"Hey, if ya got it, flaunt it." Naruto nodded, crossing his arms seriously.

"Riiiiight," Kakashi said, eye half-lidded as he was reminded even more forcefully of Anko. It was a bit disturbing to see traces of Anko, Jiriaya and the Yondaime in the boy. He couldn't help but wonder how Naruto'd turn out with that mishmash of personalities, it would be fun to see.

Either way, it was time to return to the briefing. "Gatou will have a few ronin samurai and thugs as his bodyguards. He's got a low opinion on ninja despite having a sizable account with the Hidden Sound. His current offices are in a village called Raudonesu within the borders of Oto no Kuni, but there's very rarely any ninja in that area so you should be good to go. Just make sure to keep your connection to Konoha low profile."

"Check, kill the bastard but don't let anyone know that Konoha is in on it."

"Exactly. Now, you better get going. I'll have your next mission ready by the time you get back."

"Great!" Naruto exclaimed, springing to his feet and bolting from the office.

Kakashi sat there for a moment, then sighing, turned back to his precious book with a giggle.

* * *

Ino had to admit that visiting her great-aunt's old hideout was a trip. Well, more correctly, she wasn't visiting so much as raiding. Ino, Kiba and Lee were _raiding_ the secret lair for the scrolls they contained. The map had been helpful in finding the entrance, which was hidden by a strong genjutsu supported by an ungodly complex sealing system.

Thankfully, the map had information on how to reveal the entrance, leaving them with the problem of opening the entrance to solve for themselves. The door was just slightly wide enough for two people to walk side by side, but it was solid granite and seemed welded into place.

"Yosh, if I were allowed to unleash the full power of my youth, it would undoubtedable open!" Lee finally exclaimed before glancing at her with a frown. "However, I fear that doing so would damage what we are here to retrieve."

"Same with us," Kiba said after a talking with his giant dog, Akamaru. "We could break through it with Jinjū Konbi Henge: Sōtōrō, but we'd probably do more harm than good."

Ino nodded, resigned to opening the door herself. Stretching her arms, she took a breath then let it out slowly. She had honestly hoped that she wouldn't have to do this. After Sakura had betrayed them all, Ino had begged her aunt to teach her something so that she could fight the other girl if they met again. Tsunade had reluctantly obliged and Ino had quickly learned her chakra control was not good enough to match either Tsuande or Sakura's.

It was, however, good enough for brief bursts of impressive strength.

Walking forward, Ino placed her hands against the door and slid her left foot back into a deep front stance. Rooted now and braced, Ino channeled the charka through her arms, boosting her strength. Her muscles strained and her shoulders popped from the exertion, but slowly, the door opened with the loud screech of rock against rock.

Pausing to pant, Ino stepped back, pleased to see that she had managed to open it enough so that they could slip through easily. It did mean that Akamaru would have to wait outside for them. "Ok, lets go," Ino said, popping her neck. She took the offered scroll bag from Kiba and led the way into the chamber.

Lee, of course, provided the glow-stick light and Ino felt herself whimper. She was once more in a dark cave and would be traveling through tunnels. She had a flash back to the Kumo-iki, but mastering herself, led the way over the wooden walkway that lay before them. Glancing over the edges, as the boards creaked beneath them, Ino saw a seemingly bottomless pit.

Reaching the other side was both a relief and reason to swear, which Kiba took the liberty of doing. Apparently, the Sannin had been very paranoid and had created three separate tunnels that went in opposite directions. Sighing, Ino glanced at her two companions, then back at the tunnels, frowning.

"So which one do we take?" Ino asked after a moment of consideration.

"Hey, you can do those Kage Bunshin right?" Kiba said, smiling. "Why not create three and send them on ahead? Cause I'd sure as hell like them to set off the traps than do it myself."

"Good point," Ino agreed and formed the familiar seal. Only, there was no chakra to mold, which made Ino gasp in surprise. Concentrating even harder this time, she tried once more but still got nothing. She swore loudly.

"Yosh, is there a problem?" Lee asked, sounding more uneasy than he should.

"Yeah," Ino said looking at Kiba. "Can you mold chakra?"

"Er...of course!" Kiba said, but when his attempted failed as well, swore. "What the hell is goin on?!"

"They most likely applied a seal to suppress chakra," Lee said, nodding as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Truly, they were brilliant and youthful ninja without compare!"

"Yea, but it also means we'll have to split up and search each tunnel if we want to get back in time for triple pay," Kiba grumbled.

"Rock-Paper-Sissors?" Ino offered. She glanced between them, hating the thought of splitting up more than they could imagine. When both young men nodded, she took a breath and all three began playing.

"Ha! Rock beats scissors!" Kiba said, bashing Ino's fingers with his fist.

"Yosh, but paper beats rock!" Lee countered, slapping Kiba's hand. "My springtime of youth has led me to victory!"

"Yea, yeah, just pick a tunnel." Kiba said. He started the next match, which he promptly lost to a smirking Ino. "GAH! I hate my luck!"

"Aww, just not your day is it, doggy boy," Ino taunted moving to the tunnel on the right. Turning, nodded at Lee, who gave her a thumbs up and at Kiba, who flipped her the bird. Huffing haughtily, Ino plunged into the tunnel, producing her own glow-stick as she went.

* * *

Entering Oto no Kuni, as it was unofficially called, had been childishly easy. Which meant to Naruto that either the ninja acting as border patrol were very stupid or he was very good. The blond shinboi chose to go with the second reason for obvious reasons. Still, even that hadn't prepared him for the silly ease with which he had stolen an Oto ninja outfit as his disguise.

"Idiots," he muttered, wearing the mask that the standard oto ninja wore. Not that he was really going to complain. After all, it had helped him pass inattentive teams. A little improvisation was required once in a while, but mostly, he had just been able to walk past others and not draw a raised eyebrow.

Even entering the small village that his target used for a base was easy. The people gave him a wide, frightened berth. Apparently, Sound ninja were feared, which was handy to know. That meant that when he killed Gatou, they wouldn't dare suggest that it was actually a ninja that did it,even if they witnessed the assassination.

Of course, before that, Naruto had to figure out how exactly he was going to achieve his goal. Which explained why he was roaming the streets, muttering and adjusting his mask every so often. He had little information on Gatou's security, other than that the target used simple thugs and ronin samurai, when information was the difference between success and failure.

Not that Naruto was worried, because every security system had a flaw. It was just a matter of finding it and Naruto knew the quickest way to do that was to ask the villagers, who would be eager to help an Oto ninja. Of course, he couldn't just ask anybody, the dregs of society would be best. They would be most helpful if they thought it could help improve their lot in life.

Slowing to a stop, he found exactly what he was looking for. An alley, tucked off to the side, with various huddled and beaten forms slouched within its confines. Nearly every village had such an alley where the lowest of society would gather.

Stepping into the alley, Naruto noted the immediate upswing in attention. Glancing among them, he approached the nearest one, who had the brightest eyes and crouched, careful not to lose situational awareness. "Do you know Gatou?"

"Don't know no one."

A quick flash of ryou changed the fellow's mind.

"Gatou, yeah I know him. Rich old bastard, comes down this street every day for lunch."

"And?" Naruto prompted, holding the money back, wary of the alley and the others who were slowly closing around him.

"What man, I told ya...."

"What about a time? Where does he like to eat?"

"Man, I dunno, just know he comes down this street..."

"He comes by noon, he likes to eat at that place on the corner, where they serve that soup stuff..." another one volunteered, eying the Ryou.

"He likes to get a massage over at the red light district afterwards," another added anxiously. "Always has these guys with him, always stay outside..."

"I see," Naruto said, standing. He eyed the three and tossed the money at them before darting to the roof tops. Crouching just a few buildings down, he frowned, deep in thought about what he had learned. Obviously, Gatou traveled on a schedule with bodyguards for security. It was a sign of quality too, a schedule and traveling with bodyguards kept your secure.

Yet, it would be those that would kill Gatou, because Naruto knew the flaws now. The first flaw was Gatou ran on a schedule, which made him predictable. The second flaw was his bodyguards, who escorted him but stayed outside when he went indoors, which told Naruto that once Gatou was at his destination he felt secure. You lowered you guard when you were secure and that was when you were at your most vulnerable.

So Naruto summarized, moving to study the indicated restaurant that was really just a small stand. Gatou was due for lunch any minute. After that, he would go to the red light district for a massage. Naruto's chance to assassinate his target was fast approaching. The only question was how would he do it? The red light district would be tricky and he'd likely have to kill the woman, but he wanted to avoid needless death.

The restaurant would be easier, but he'd have to hurry. He would have to do it such a way as to not get caught doing it. After a few minutes of internal debate, Naruto decided that it would be best to check out the place and plan from there.

Stepping through the entrance and into the restaurant, Naruto took a moment to look around. There was a counter with stools and a few small tables. Nothing impressive, simple, direct, empty save for the thin balding man behind the counter who was looking mildly shocked.

"W-welcome to my restaurant..."

"What kind of food you got?" Naruto asked, careful to disguise his voice as he approached the counter and sat down. The man seemed nervous, he actually didn't say anything for a few seconds then began rubbing the back of his head.

"Uh, we serve Shandong broth," the man said. "Can I get you a bowl?"

"Make that two and some of your best jasmine tea," a new voice said. The cook wilted slightly, looking past Naruto to the entrance. Turning, Naruto eyed the short, white haired man dressed in a suit and wearing sunglasses. "It'll be my treat, too. After all, the Otokage is my best customer."

"O-of course Gatou-sama," the cook stammered before hurrying to fix the required meals.

"Thanks," Naruto grunted, turning back to the counter, keeping track of the man without showing any signs of it.

"I'm not used to seeing just a single Oto ninja. Normally, you guys travel in groups, right?" Gatou said, easing onto a stool next to Naruto, twisting slightly to look at him.

"I was scouting," Naruto lied, mind racing on how best to kill his target now that they were so close. Crap, he hadn't counted on cutting it this close. Still, he was a master of improvisation. "We had reports of a really strong Konoha ninja in the area."

"Aha," Gatou said, taking a sip of his tea. The old man paused then let out a satisfied sigh. "Jasmine tea is so cleansing, good for the soul."

Naruto nodded mutely, staring at his own tea, knowing that he had to drink it but not reveal his face. He hadn't counted on that when he stole this outfit. Picking the cup up, he hesitated for a split second then glanced at Gatou, wondering how Kakashi managed this on a daily basis.

Gathering his nerves, he moved quickly, yanking his mask down and slamming the tea down, quickly as he could.

"That was impressive, I've never seen someone drink tea that quickly," Gatou said, toasting him slightly.

Naruto grunted and set his cup down, turning his mind back to how best to kill Gatou. A kunai would be the most direct method, or a snap of the neck. From what little he could guess, it wouldn't be so very strange for Oto ninja to do this.

Still, it would probably be better to strike later, probably in between here and the massage parlor. It would be taken as a bandit or such, but the less witnesses the better. Nodding curtly at the cook, ignoring the bowl of soup that he was holding, he turned and left without a word, wishing he had done more assassination missions as Jiriaya had suggested in the Yuki Civil War.

* * *

Ino was officially bored, and a bit creeped out. The tunnel she had chosen was empty, dark and seemed to go on forever. Plus, there was this feeling, a building panic within her, that whispered she should turn and run away.

Obviously a genjutsu, a strong one, and most likely supported by a seal system. Still, Ino wasn't stupid enough to believe that she could keep moving through a full power Sannin genjutsu. In spite of it's strength, it had weakened severely over the years.

Still, it took constant effort to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

"Oh come on," Ino muttered, holding her glow stick higher to light more of the tunnel. There was nothing ahead of her and turning, she couldn't even see the tunnel entrance. This was ridiculous, honestly, she should turn around and take another tunnel.

Ino even took a few steps back the way she came, then stopped and frowned. No, she had come this far and besides, it was just the genjutsu that was messing with her head. Turning around, she started forward once more to the end of the passage.

A few moments later, she abruptly stumbled out of the tunnel and into a semi-circular room with shelves full of scrolls and maps hung against the walls. Standing there, looking much worse for wear was Kiba, bandaging his leg, and Lee, who was busy bandaging his shoulder.

"What happened to you two?"

"Oh nothing," Kiba snorted, looking up at her with deep loathing. "Just a few traps and weird- ass creatures."

"What?" Ino asked, eyes widening.

"Yosh, it is true," Lee interjected, a livid bruise on his cheek. "Didn't you encounter any challenges?"

"Nope, just a genjutsu that kept making me want to turn around and leave," Ino explained, moving to help Lee with his bandages and leaving Kiba to his own devices. "I guess we'll be taking my tunnel back, huh?"

"Ya think?" Kiba snorted, already filling the scroll bag.

"Can you quit your bitchin' so we can just finish this mission?" Ino asked, moving to fill her own scroll bag.

"Sure," Kiba shot back, pointing a scroll at her, "but do you think you could stop treating me like an idiot or something?"

"Then stop acting like one," Ino shot back, glaring at him. Honestly, did he think she was so stupid that she didn't know he was trying to steal Hinata from Choji? Kiba snorted and looked away, turning back to the scrolls.

Huffing to herself, Ino moved as far as he could from him, trying to distract herself. Sadly though, her mind kept drifting back to that near kiss with Naruto. Like she had earlier, Ino wrote it off as merely a side effect of the fight. An impulsive decision made in the heat of battle that unfortunately sent her heart racing.

Plus, it didn't hurt that Naruto wasn't bad looking. Not ridiculously handsome, but not a pretty boy either, he was attractive enough that it was a bit of a distraction. Remembering his chest during their spar, Ino blushed faintly and decided it was more that just a bit distracting.

"Think we should take the maps?" Kiba asked, nodding at said wall map.

"Nah," Ino said, glancing over at them. "Mission is just for the scrolls."

"It could be worth a bonus," Kiba offered, hand reaching for it only to have Lee grab it quickly.

"Yosh, have you not realized the seriousness of this?" Lee said, looking at Kiba intently. "They have taken away your chakra, they have forced us to split up and travel through dangerous traps and a powerful genjutsu. If they have went this far to weaken us this badly, imagine what they would have done to ensure that those youthful enough to get this far did not go any further."

Ino blinked, surprised at Lee's rationale, then looked at Kiba who was looking equally serious. Wrist free, Kiba rubbed at it and turned to look at her. "Well, we've got all the scrolls. We should get moving."

"Right," Ino agreed. Turning quickly, her bag knocked a small statue off a nearby table. All three paused, holding their breath. Then at the low rumbling sound, they looked at each other and bolted as one for Ino's tunnel.

Kiba stumbled, but was forcefully shoved by Ino who was behind him. "Run faster!"

"I wouldn't have to run if you hadn't touched anything!" Kiba shouted over his shoulder angrily, only to be drowned out by the growing sound of ominous rumbling and shaking of the tunnel.

"It's collapsing!" Ino shouted, spending up.

"Worse," Lee confirmed, his glow stick held high before them. "This tunnel has altered itself, there are twice as many traps as the other ones. Jump!"

Following his order and example without hesitation, Kiba and Ino both jumped blindly over a pit. Landing in a heap, Ino recovered first and hauled Kiba to his feet both setting off once more. It was insane how many traps and pitfalls, and swinging pendulums and crushing walls they just barely managed to avoid.

They came stumbling out of the tunnel in a heap, only to find the antechamber filling with green mist. Ino's eyes widened, realizing that it was poison. "Shit, we gotta get out of here!"

"No duh!" Kiba shouted, hauling Lee into a half-crouch while covering his mouth. A few minutes later, they squeezed their way outside where they collapsed on their knees panting. To Ino, the air had only once ever tasted as sweet as it did now.

Recovering, she looked at Kiba and a barely conscious Lee and coughed. "Damn it, every time I go underground I nearly get killed. First the Kumo-iki, then Oto, now this! That's it, no more underground missions!"

"Well, at least, we got the scrolls." Kiba muttered, before making a choking noise as Akamaru licked his face.

* * *

A nearly invisible blur shot across the roof tops, eyeing the street below. This was the only street that took Gatou and his men directly to the massage parlor. It was located on a side street with two easy to secure entrances. Without doubt, the establishment was designed to defend against the typical bandit or ambush.

Coming to a stop halfway down the street, the still disguised Naruto crouched in the shadows, considering his options. Standard formation would be at least one guard in front and some behind, that way one could hold off the enemy and the others could secure the retreat out of the ambush. He could kill all the guards then Gatou, but that wasn't what he had been paid for. He could try a wind jutsu, but that might not be a good thing, nor would a typical weapon.

They could be noticed, blocked, inaccurate, or avoided. Not entirely likely all things considered, but he knew that assassinating one of Oto's suppliers would draw a ninja to hunt down the killer. Hence, why Konoha didn't want to be connected with this mission.

Which meant a simple snap of the neck that couldn't be traced to any single ninja village. The only problem then was how to draw the guards away from Gatou for the time he'd need. After a few moments of consideration, Naruto began to grin, one of Anko's lesson from three years ago coming to him. "Attack from where they don't expect it."

An ambush would be expected in this situation, but a rescuer would not be. So, Naruto would stage an ambush, arrive to help drive it off and when he was close enough, snap Gatou's neck. Obviously, any ninja that turned up to check the murder out would realize the ploy, but they would still be unable to link it to any particular ninja village.

Creating a half dozen kage bunshin, he motioned for them to crouch and laid out the plan. Each clone nodded enthusiastically, and using the 'Sexy no Jutsu: Varation' to appear as bandits, positioned themselves for the attack. Moving quickly, Naruto applied his Meisai Gakure no jutsu to disappear from view and await the ambush.

Now, it was just a matter of time and Gatou would soon be dead and he could go home for some ramen.

Moments later, the first bodyguard came into view. He was followed by Gatou, and another guard, and Naruto blinked. Only two bodyguards? They had gotten far to lax, if it wasn't him today, it would someone else and soon. Either way, this only helped Naruto's plan, as proven when his dozen or so 'bandit' kage bunshin charged into the alley from ahead and from behind to cut off retreat.

The bodyguards, ronin samurai apparently, leapt into action but it quickly became apparent that they wouldn't be able to last long. A second later, when one of the 'bandits' rushed past them weapon drawn, headed for a defenseless Gatou, Naruto lept into action. He crashed to the ground, a kunai destroying the clone, even as he spun to attack another from the other direction.

"W-where'd you come from?!" Gatou shouted in surprise, but Naruto ignored him for the moment, acting the role of ninja. A break in the fighting, as the samurai redoubled their efforts allowed him to speak with Gatou.

"I was leaving the village when I noticed these men," Naruto explained calmly, despite the noise around them. "Tell your samurai to withdraw and I'll escort you out of this ambush."

"R-right," Gatou nodded, moving to shout at the rear guard. It was a simple matter then for Naruto to slip behind the man, grasp the chin and head as he had been taught, and twist sharply. There was a muffled series of cracks as vertebrae gave way, ending Gatou's life.

Seeing the samurai's horrified look, Naruto casually allowed the man's body to slump to the ground with little fanfare and disappeared to the rooftops. The 'bandits' retreated as well to disappear without a trace. All Naruto had to do now was get back to the border of Oto no kuni and shed this stupid uniform.

After that a short trip through Craftsman Country, Oto and Taki's neighbor and go through the Great Wall Gate. By eight tonight, he would be eating at Ichrikau Ramen, talking with Ayame and maybe if he could manage it, Ino or Anko.

* * *

At one point in time Sakon, and Ukon of course, had been part of the Otogakure no Shinobi Yonin Shū, the elite personal bodyguards of Orochimaru. At one time, there had actually been four of them, but things had changed drastically. To begin with, Sakon could remember when they had been the Otogakure no Shinobi Gonin Shū, but that was before Kimimaro had fallen sick to a mysterious illness that even the notorious Butcher Kabuto had been unable to cure.

After that, they had been the Sound Four, until the disastrous mission to escort Sasuke to Oto, which had cost them both Jirōbō and Kidomaru. In return, they had received Sasuke, the Ka-oni; along with the infamous Benihime Haruno Sakura.

At first, this had seemed a fair trade. Between the Butcher Kabuto and the Benihime Sakura, they had managed to slow the disease ravaging Kimimaro. The strongest of them was back on his feet, though still dying and added to their group was Sakura who was as brilliant as Kabuto and twice as deadly.

Of course, a few months later the foul-mouthed Tayuya, Sakon's one-time lover, had gotten her neck snapped. Apparently, Tayuya had decided that, Sakura be damned, Sasuke was hers, and she wouldn't stop till it was fact. Sakura had not appreciated this and Sakon could still hear the dry snap of Tayuya's neck as Sakura held her aloft with frightening ease.

From that point on they had been the Sound three; Sakon, Kimimaro and Sakura. They had been the strongest group within Oto, the most feared…

Sadly, Sakon was now the only surviving member. Three days ago, both Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke had left Oto. They had gone missing ninja on perhaps the only village that would have ever taken them in.

In doing so, they had killed Kimimaro, who had been sent alone to stop them, and who knew how many Oto ninja after that. The only comfort was the Butcher's assurance that Kimimaro had severely wounded Sasuke and Sakura. All of this then, gave testimony as to why Sakon was not in the best of moods.

Apparently, another murder had transpired, one that Orochimaru was anxious to discover the cause of. Someone had killed Gatou and worst of all, reports indicated that the 'someone' was a Sound ninja. Hence, why Sakon was chosen to investigate the assassination, and as his partner, been given the sadistic Butcher Kabuto.

Kabuto, who was currently crouching over a discarded uniform in the middle of the forest, combing for clues as to idenity of the attacker. Sakon watched with only passing interest as the man finally extracted a strand of hair and held it aloft.

"Oh goody, some hair, that'll really help us," Sakon said, voice dripping sarcasm.

"Actually, Sakon-kun," Kabuto said happily as he turned with that disturbing smile of his, "it will. You really did an excellent job in finding this uniform."

"Yeah, ok," Sakon said, brushing the compliment off. The trail had been obvious for anyone that cared to notice, whoever the assassain was, they hadn't been very worried about pursuit. "So, how is this hair going to help us figure out who killed Gatou?"

"Well, I have a vague idea already," Kabuto admitted as he pulled his deck of Nin info cards and crouched, setting them on the ground. Then hand glowing, he swiped a card up to hold aloft. "Now, all I have to do is compare what traces of chakra are in this hair to what I have on this card."

"Ahuh,"

A moment later, Kabuto applied the hair to the card, there was a brief flare of chakra and the hair dissolved. Kabuto smiled to himself and looked up at Sakon, the light glinting off his glasses. "Well, well, this answers so many questions."

"It worked?" Sakon asked, openly shocked. "So who is it?"

"Someone interesting," Kabuto said as he gathered his cards and stood. Then meeting Sakon's gaze, continued contently, "for your report… say it was an Iwa ninja."

"That's it?" Sakon asked, incredulously. "All I'm suppose to say is a 'rock ninja did it'? I need a name, a rank…"

"Chūnin," Kabuto offered, brightly start back the way they came. "As for the name I'll give that to Orochimaru-sama personally."

"Hey, wait a damn minute here. If you know who this is, why not tell me so I can go kill him or bring him back for questioning?!"

"Because," Kabuto said, pausing briefly but not turning, "against this ninja you'd stand no chance in hell. After all, he's the only ninja Sasuke-kun ever lost to."

"Say wha?" Sakon muttered in disbelief, watching as Kabuto kept walking. Looking around in utter annoyance, Sakon huffed and followed wondering who exactly such a ninja was.

* * *

AN:

Special thanks goes to Fenraellis for his help in pointing out several mistakes this chapter. Kudos, I owe you.


	7. Chapter 5: Apprentice

Naruto: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 5:  
_-Apprentice-  
_By Geor-sama

* * *

Crouching near the stream, Naruto cupped his hands and took a long gulp of water. He sighed, looking around at the silent section of forest. It was hard to believe that soon enough he'd be back in Konoha, though he was thankful because that last mission had been a real pain in the ass. Though the task had started out simple enough – just provide some protection to a caravan traveling from Ishi no Kuni into Tani no Kuni which lay on the border of Lightning country.

A straightforward mission, barely qualifying for B-rank due to the Ishi no Kuni princess traveling to Tani no Kuni for her arranged marriage. Talk about boring. And the princess, Haruna, was an ice-queen from hell. Naruto actually pitied the guy who was going to marry her, mildly attractive or not.

Taking another sip of water, he sighed again, cracking his neck softly. This was his eighth mission in the last month and it, like the previous seven, had been boring as hell. Kami, where was the excitement from when he was a Genin? When he'd learned about the princess, his hopes had risen. After all, people always wanted to kill princesses.

Shaking his head, Naruto stood, only to pause as he caught the soft noise of a ninja touching down near the trees behind him. Maybe he had passed judgment too soon; still, he was in Hi no Kuni, so he had better check first to ensure that the intruder wasn't an ally. Turning slowly, he prepared for anything, knowing that they had to be skilled because he hadn't heard or sensed anything until they landed.

Naruto was disappointed to discover, however, that it was not an enemy ninja and that he would not be fighting. Instead, he faced a female, dressed in ANBU uniform and armor. Indeed, the only atypical features he saw were her mask, which was blank, and her blond hair.

Having completed the initial examination, his mind focused on other semi-important details. After all, he had spent three years training with Ero-sennin. Plus, her armor and clothes were doing little to hide her figure. Damn, she looked good, a little familiar, too, but he couldn't figure out why until she started talking.

"Do you have business out here, or are you this close to the Great Wall for a pleasant walk?" the ANBU asked as she shifted her weight and crossed her arms.

Naruto felt a jolt of shock run through him as he recognized Yamanaka Ino. Now that he knew who it was behind that mask, he realized she didn't know that he knew. A smart person would, of course, play dumb. An ANBU's identity was the sort of information you kept close to your chest, but Uzumaki Naruto spoke without thinking.

"Well, Ino-chan, I would think that my forehead protector would say I was out here on business... But, if you want to walk with me for a bit, I'm sure that would make things pleasant for both of us."

"W-what?" Ino stammered, arms moving fractionally in her surprise.

"Gotcha!" Naruto gloated, happily.

"What do you mean 'gotcha'? Whoever this 'Ino-chan' is, I'm not her."

"Riiight," Naruto said mockingly as he nodded, "and the Hokage doesn't like the Icha Icha series."

"The Hokage's personal tastes are not important. I don't know who you think I am, but I am not her," Ino refuted once more, with a surprising amount of determination.

"Ok," Naruto said, his grin widening. "I guess I was mistaken. After all, if you really were Ino-chan, you'd be all over me."

"In your dreams," Ino muttered, then paused. Grumbling, she reached up and slid her mask up to glare at him. "How in the hell did you know it was me?"

"Your voice," Naruto said, hands behind his head. "Plus, you seemed familiar before that. Oi, plus Anko told me you were an ANBU Trainee!"

"She told you? But nobody's supposed to know," Ino said, scowling at him intently. "ANBU Trainees are forbidden to reveal their status to anyone until such time as they become full-fledged members. Even then, the identity is to be limited to immediate family and the Hokage."

"Eh, oops?" Naruto offered with a shrug, not really concerned about what she had told him. Instead, he was curious about what she was doing out here dressed like that. Anko had told him trainees stayed in Konoha. They didn't actually patrol the country. "Oi, so what are you doing out here?"

"My job," Ino said, sliding her mask back into place. "This is a practical exam, which you've complicated."

"Huh?"

"I swear..." Ino muttered, shaking her head. "I had to join a group of ANBU on patrol, a test to see how I stack up with full-fledged members. Everything was quiet, too. We were on our way back to Konoha, and then you had to freakin' show up and get me sent to investigate!"

"Sorry?" Naruto offered, and then scratched his head.

Before Ino could respond, they were joined by five more ANBU, one of whom was a purple-haired woman wearing a dog's mask.

"Oi! Can't a guy have any peace in the forest?"

Dog Mask, along with the rest of the team ignored him, instead focusing entirely on Ino. "Report."

"No enemies in the immediate vicinity, just a Konoha ninja returning from a mission," Ino answered professionally, standing almost at full attention.

"Ahh," the purple-haired woman said, turning to face Naruto, her posture one of causal authority. "Uzumaki-san, the Hokage told us you might be roaming around out here. It's nice to see you again."

"Err...we've met?" Naruto asked, blinking in confusion.

"Not formally," she admitted with indifference. "However, could I ask a favor of you?"

"Depends," Naruto said slowly, his guard up once more.

"Since you're here, we'd like to see how our newest trainee would handle escorting a prisoner to Konoha," the woman explained, crossing her arms. "If you wouldn't mind, could you fill that role for us?"

"Well, I guess so," Naruto offered with a slight scowl, "long as I get back in time for lunch and my next mission."

"Kurohyou," the woman snapped while spinning in smart military fashion. Ino stood straighter, gaze fixed on Dog Mask. "Restrain the prisoner; you'll be acting as his escort."

"Yes!" 'Kurohyou' said, before she moved to a grinning Naruto, who held his wrists out for her. Ino promptly bound his hands together with wire, not once making eye contact.

Naruto couldn't help but grin wider. "Ya know, this is sorta kinky, Kurohyou-chan..."

Ino jerked the wire a tad tighter, causing him to wince. "Be quiet."

"Oooh, you like it rough, huh?" Naruto said cheekily, and was rewarded with a few chuckles from the others.

"Shut up," Ino grated out, her tone dripping venom, "before I cut that tongue out."

"Ouch," Naruto winced. "That's a bit too rough. No tongue for you."

"Move!" Ino snapped, shoving him forward amidst the open laughter of the other ANBU.

* * *

Tsunade was experiencing one of the worst headaches she'd ever been privileged enough to enjoy, including that hangover from a week-long bout of partying shortly after making Chūnin. Somehow, over the years, she had forgotten just how insanely arduous it was to translate the scrolls from 'Higurego', the private code that the Sannin used. Added to that was the sheer number of scrolls, a hundred, most of which were outdated troop movements.

Some were private notes: Jiraiya's showed a hint of his future literary career, Tsunade's anecdotal medical information, and Orochimaru's groundwork for his curse seals. Still, Tsunade read them, pored through them tediously, searching for the answer.

Admittedly, this was a long shot, but Tsunade was sure that either her notes or Orochimaru's would provide something worthwhile, some hint that might have been written off as just a random piece of information at the time.

Some reference to an obscure cure or condition that could solve her problem.

She had already raided the Hokage's private library, the Nara medical book, and her own ancient notes, even Orochimaru's hidden and private notes that had never been released. After scouring every source at her disposal, every scrap of medical knowledge, Tsunade, the great medical genius, had discovered that it was indeed impossible to cure fatal chakra poisoning.

These long forgotten notes were her last, desperate, hope.

Sadly, even they seemed to have failed her. Neither she nor Orochimaru had discovered some miracle information that could solve this problem. Apparently, the time had come to accept that there was no cheating the Shinigami. Jiraiya was going to die.

It was her fault.

Someone she cared about was going to die and she was helpless, again. Nawaki, Dan, Sarutobi... She could have saved them if she was stronger, better, faster. Now, Jiraiya was next and she had failed, because she wasn't smart or clever enough to figure out the answer. Slumping back in defeat, Tsunade wiped roughly at her cheeks to clear the tears.

How could she have failed? She shouldn't have failed.

She couldn't fail.

Sitting up, determination burning bright in her brown eyes once more, she swept Orochimaru's and her own scrolls aside and grabbed the few remaining ones that belonged to Jiraiya. Time to check the last scrap of information she had overlooked.

Shifting through the stories and random scraps of information, Tsunade was disappointed beyond words. Oh sure, there was a brief note about the Ba Xain and Awabi, then a few notes about those silly Ancestors he and Orochimaru had been so interested in. Here and there were a few smutty paragraphs, one including a poorly disguised Tsunade, which flattered her more than it should have.

However, there was absolutely nothing about some cure that he had overheard. Just the ramblings of a would-be author-slash-pornographer, nothing helpful, and yet Tsunade couldn't stop reading. His stuff wasn't that interesting, or necessarily well written, but the words had an intense feeling, a passion almost.

Still, scroll after scroll passed and Tsunade felt the renewed and even heavier feeling of despair. She was wasting her time. But, while discovering the cure she was so desperate for was hopeless, she couldn't stop.

Until she started to translate the last paragraph of the last scroll, and she saw light at the end of the tunnel.

"Ippan-i, a wondrous herb that-"

Sadly, that was as far as Tsunade got before the door to her office opened with a bang, ushering a squealing Tonton into the room, followed by a slightly panicked Shizune.

"Aa, sorry Tsunade-sama, but Tonton doesn't want to take his ba-" Shizune started to apologize, now holding the wiggling piglet tight.

"Get out," Tsunade grated out, not looking up, staring rather at the now ruined scroll.

Because when they had burst in, she had startled, knocking over a bottle of ink, which was spreading like a cancer, obscuring the scroll.

Sensing that Shizune hadn't moved, Tsunade slowly looked up, brown eyes bright with anger. "I said, get out!"

"T-Tsunade-sam-"

"GET OUT!" Tsunade bellowed while lashing out and snapping her desk in half. Scrolls scattered, coming to rest in pools of sake and ink. Shizune was gone, the door still open and Tsunade, Sannin, slug tamer, medical genius, started to cry in earnest.

* * *

Yamanaka Ino had never been so thankful to wear a mask as she was when she escorted Naruto. Her cheeks were just now fading from the intense blush they'd developed after his earlier comments and the snicker of the ANBU team. The only one that hadn't found it amusing was her current Captain Uzuki Yugao.

The woman was moving at a clipped pace at the front of the pack, ignoring her. Just like she had the entire day, unless she specifically needed to, Uzuki had utterly ignored her. Yugao had been her sensei for a year. They might not have always gotten along, but this was a bit much.

Then again, considering the way Ino had left Yugao after that last match, maybe it was warranted.

So Ino dealt with it the only way she could, the way Anko had trained all the trainees. She hid behind her professionalism. Everything by the book, everything sharp and clear, no thinking about the fact that Yuago was being a petty bitch.

Glancing at the 'prisoner,' Ino smirked to herself, remembering the way his eyes had swept over her in that clearing when she had first arrived. She would never admit it, but it was nice to have someone check her out. Even if he was just a friend, a cute friend, who she had nearly kissed..._No, no._ She stopped that train of thought abruptly. Besides, that had been the heat of the moment, not actual attraction. Just like when he had left three years ago. She had kissed him on an impulse.

Instead, she turned back to the fact that he knew she was an ANBU Trainee. More importantly, the fact that Anko had told him. The same Mitarashi Anko that had kicked out trainees for any accidental slip up that revealed said information. She was almost fanatical about secrecy where ANBU was concerned; yet, she had so casually told him about Ino.

Why? It didn't make any sense.

Ino was promptly snapped back to the forest when Naruto darted forward, turning around in mid-jump to keep pace backwards. He flashed a grin at her and a small finger wave, which made Ino's eye twitch. Was he trying to make her fail? Didn't he understand how important this exam was for her?

"Get back in formation," Ino hissed.

"Excuse me?" Naruto said, raising an eyebrow, not slowing or doing as ordered.

"You heard me," Ino said in an even firmer voice. "This isn't a game. You're a prisoner right now and I'm escorting you back to Konoha. If you don't do as I say, I'm fully authorized to use my sword to gut you."

"Ok, ok...geez," Naruto muttered, before slowing back down to join her side, though he still didn't turn back around. "You know what? You take yourself way too seriously."

"I do not," Ino said curtly, not glancing at him. What did he know? Of course she was serious right now: This was an important exam for her. Her duty was to make sure things went smoothly on this exam.

"You should lighten up," Naruto offered, turning around the right way.

"I am lightened. Can we drop this?" Ino muttered back, shooting him a glare that he couldn't see.

"Okay," Naruto relented, before making a funny face at her, followed by another and another.

"Will you stop that?" Ino asked tightly, only to have him ignore her and continue with his silly faces.

"Stop, it's distracting," Ino managed, a faint hint of a giggle entering her voice as he continued. She couldn't help it. He was making some pretty funny faces.

"Are you laughing?" Naruto asked, wearing a faint smile on his lips.

Mastering herself, Ino shook her head and forced herself to be serious once more. "No."

"No?" Naruto echoed, then made an unbearably funny face, which prompted Ino to laugh openly before she mastered herself and looked away. "It's okay, you can laugh. I promise I won't tell anyone."

Ino ignored him, wishing that she hadn't laughed. She shouldn't have laughed. More importantly, she should be angry with Naruto for making her laugh. Yet, she couldn't manage it. There was something so…She wasn't sure what, but something that made it impossible to really be angry with him.

Still, she shouldn't have laughed and she knew it. This would not reflect well on her, but it wasn't Naruto's fault. He just wasn't a serious person. Glancing at Naruto without turning her head, Ino found him staring off into the distance, an intent look on his face. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to admit that she was a tad attracted to him.

Yes, just a teensy bit of attraction was accceptable. She could live with that. No harm and no foul in admitting to that.

* * *

"So, after she shouted at you," Kakashi said slowly, studying the plain but attractive woman intently, "what did you do?"

"I left," Shizune said softly, shifting slightly under his gaze. "When Tsunade-sama gets angry it's best to just leave. I went back after she left. I don't know where she went."

"I see," Kakashi murmured softly, turning to stare out the bay windows behind him. "Did she leave any of her scrolls behind?"

"They were destroyed – her notes, everything she was working on," Shizune answered, sounding slightly uneasy. "Whatever it was that I walked in on her reading was very important to her."

"You don't think..."

"That she found a cure for fatal chakra poisoning?" Shizune finished, sounding slightly amazed before sighing. "I doubt it. She is the most brilliant medic I've ever met, but even she can't cure that."

"I suppose you're right," Kakashi said, turning back to her with a happily curved eye. "Well, if that's all, I better get back to my, uh...paperwork."

"Of course," Shizune offered with her own pleasant smile and then stood, walking out of the office. Kakashi watched her go, eye lingering on her rear.

Heaving a sigh, he selected his book and prepared to indulge in his favorite past-time. Jiriaiya had truly outdone himself so far. The first book had been revolved around two friends on a mission and how they began a very 'beneficial' friendship.

The current one was about one hapless, but strong ninja and two hot rival kunoichi thanking him for no apparent reason. Kakashi had just reached the point where one offered to improve their teamwork, when the Hokage was disturbed from such a compelling storyline by a loud ninja.

"Hey masked perv, I'm back!"

All of Kakashi's will power was required not to kill the blond Chūnin where he stood. He watched through a narrowed eye as Naruto crossed the office, seemingly without a care in the world and flopped down into a chair without being invited to sit. If it wasn't for the fact that he knew the esteem in which Naruto actually held the position of Hokage, Kakashi would have said he was being disrespectful.

The sad truth was that Naruto had simply been trained to act this way by his unconventional sensei's.

"I take it you've completed your mission?"

"Of course," Naruto said with a cheesy grin as he reclined in his chair, fingers laced behind his head. "Was there every any doubt with such a talented and awesome ninja like myself on the job?"

"...I can't decide who you remind me more of, Anko or Jiraiya," Kakashi deadpanned, staring at the blond, who only smiled all the more.

"Hehehe, what can I say?" Naruto said, and leaned forward, eyes dancing eagerly. "Oi, so my next mission, think it'll involve some actual fighting or something?"

"Definitely Anko," Kakashi muttered, leaning back in his own chair, staring at the boy.

"I can't help it. All these missions are so damn boring. I mean, when I was a Genin all my missions had danger and excitement and now...Ugh, at this point, I wouldn't say no to another assassination."

"I see you finally understand the painful truth about high-rank missions," Kakashi said, far too happily for Naruto. "They're usually boring as hell."

"Bah," Naruto snorted, crossing his arms and falling back into his chair. After a moment of silence, he glanced at Kakashi sourly. "Oi, so what's my next mission?"

"Well," Kakashi said slowly, knowing that the blond would blow up when he heard the latest decision. "You've run eight consecutive high-ranked missions, which is very impressive."

"It'll be even more impressive when you give me my next one and I make it nine."

"Which you can do," Kakashi said casually, preparing for the storm. "A month from now."

"Ehwhat'dyoujustsay?"

"Naruto, Konoha has spent years studying ninja in high stress situations. We have come to understand how ninja behave on high-ranked missions. We never let a ninja perform more than eight back-to-back missions, and it's also the reason we spread missions out over so many teams."

"Are you telling me I can't do another mission?" Naruto echoed blankly, staring at him in disbelief.

"Oh, no, you'll be able to do more missions," Kakashi said quickly, wishing to avoid the shouting match he sensed looming before him. "You just have to take one month off, then you'll be right back running missions like you were."

"What?!" Naruto shouted, leaping to his feet.

"Relax."

"Relax? Relax?! I'm trying to become a Jōnin and you're making me take a vacation?" Naruto said heatedly, pacing in front of his desk.

"You know…You're very excitable," Kakashi said conversationally, before his eye curved up happily, "which is another example of needing time off."

"Y-you, but, this, I, that is--" Naruto stammered, mouth closing and opening before he mastered himself with obvious effort. "Oi, so just what the hell am I supposed to do for the next month?"

"This would be a good time to find a hobby," Kakashi suggested helpfully. "Reading is a good one. Icha Icha is a great series-"

"It's boring as hell. Nothing but porn without a plot."

"Which is what makes it so enjoyable!" Kakashi couldn't help but chirp happily, mostly to annoy the young man.

"If you say so," Naruto snorted, crossing his arms "I think there's more fun in researching than writing it."

Kakashi blinked and stared at the boy, who seemed to be realizing what he had just inadvertently revealed.

"Not that I've ever done that, the researching, honestly!" Naruto quickly said, waving his hands, eyes wide. Kakashi just stared at the boy, deciding to let him off the hook, for the moment at least. After all, that sort of teasing was best left for when either Anko or Ino were present.

"I believe you." Nodding slightly, Kakashi turned back to the less interesting discussion of hobbies. "If you're against reading and research, you could always take a part-time job. The Academy could always use another instructor. Or the Military Police. And I'm sure that a few clans might even be willing to hire you as a private tutor for their children."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll just wait for the month to be up and start hitting the missions again."

"If that's what you want," Kakashi said with an indifferent shrug, "but I should probably point out that you need to interact with the villagers. Let them get to know you, if you ever want to be an effective Hokage."

"They know me. They saw me save the village!"

"No, they know of you but they don't know _you_. They need to know you as a person; otherwise, they may not fully trust you. Even if you become Hokage, you'll never be able to lead with their support." Kakashi studied the boy, prepared for an argument, but was instead greeted to the unusual sight of Naruto muttering something about getting lunch and leaving.

The masked Hokage sat there for another few minutes before he blinked. For some reason, he didn't have a good feeling about this, as if he had just set off a chain reaction that was going to come back to bite him on the ass. He had a sudden urge to face plant into Tsunade's chest, which would be complete suicide.

He did acknowledge that there were far worse ways of dying, though none were as immediate.

* * *

Sparring was a tedious affair for Hanabi, mostly because she did so alone against imaginary opponents. The training post was next to useless for her. All it did was keep the conditioning of her palms up to standards. To make things worse, thanks to having her bloodline sealed, her bursts of chakra were unfocused, making her Jūken mostly ineffective.

Pausing in her current routine, Hanabi sighed, remembering a time when she had been hailed as the purest Hyūga of her time and the pride of the Main branch family, instead of simply Hanabi. A time before she had been disowned, disgraced and forced to endure her advanced bloodline being sealed away.

All because of a boy, her own temper as well as her father's, and the vicious political backstabbing that had forced her father to disown her.

It was infuriating beyond words, compounded by the fact that she could no longer claim to be Hyūga. Treated worse than garbage, because without her bloodline she had no skills and she could not grasp the jutsu her 'sensei' tried to teach the team. Was it her fault that she had been assigned to the team prior to being disowned and, hence, had none of the basics?

So she practiced alone, as best she could, hoping to stay alive for just another day. Because she was a sheep among the wolves now. The Hyūga had enemies even within Konoha and they would not hesitate to strike a defenseless girl. Her sensei knew this. He went out of his way to ridicule her and save himself from being punished for helping her.

Pausing mid-kata, Hanabi cursed and re-centered her weight. Sweat trickled down the sides of her face as she held the pose to retrain her body for this position. Taking a breath, her muscles aching, she continued with the routine, pausing twice more to retrain her body.

Maybe she could never be a true Jūken master, like Neji was, and she could never learn the style that Hinata was now utilizing, but she would be the best she could. She would prove that, Hyūga or not, she was worth something. She would make her name a proud name once more.

"Uhhh, wouldn't it help if you were sparring someone?"

Hanabi stumbled in mid-move as she twisted around to stare at the intruder, ready for the assassination attempt while knowing she would be unable to stop it. Yet, the boy she found staring at her looked nothing like she expected of an assassin. He was average height, with spiky blond hair and blue eyes, whisker marks, and he was grinning at her. More unusual, he was wearing a black jacket with orange shoulders and stripes down the arms, with orange pants with black stripes down the sides.

"Who are you and why are you here?" Hanabi asked curtly, for the moment unable to decide if fleeing would be the proper course of action or not. There was the off chance he was just a random Konoha ninja that had stumbled across her.

"Well," the boy said, the grin stretching widely across his face, followed by striking a pose that he obviously considered impressive, "I'm Konoha's Number One Prankster, Hero and the Next Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Uzumaki...Naruto?" Hanabi repeated blankly. She knew the name, of course. Who didn't? However, she was having some problems reconciling the name with the noisy person before her.

"Yup!" Naruto said, crossing his arms and nodding, before he turned slightly more serious, though his smile never completely left his face. "Oi, and I'm here 'cause I wanted to do some training."

"Well, obviously, this training area is currently being used," Hanabi responded brusquely, disregarding him as a non-threat.

"Huh, really? I thought you were just dancing or something," Naruto said before rubbing his chin. "Yeah, definitely looked like dancing to me."

"That was a kata," Hanabi said tersely, eye twitching at his comment, "which is part of my training."

"Oh, a kata," Naruto said in comprehension before blinking. "So, why aren't you training with the rest of your team?"

"That is none of your business."

"Oi, come on! I'm just trying to be friendly," Naruto said, huffing in annoyance. "Would it really be that bad for you to tell me?"

"If you must know," Hanabi said slowly, fixing him with her most withering glare, expecting ridicule or loss of interest when he heard her explanation. "I am training alone because my team, and my sensei, view me as useless."

Instead of the expected ridicule, Naruto blinked and studied her intently before crossing his arms once more. Hanabi grew self-conscious as he started to circle her, his eyes sweeping over her, appraising her. The perusal reminded Hanabi of her father when he had first started training her. Though she was uncomfortable, habit held her still.

"You don't look useless to me," Naruto said as he stopped in front of her once more, his face set in a curious scowl. "Oi, aren't you a Hyūga?"

"No," Hanabi replied stiffly, her shoulders tensing slightly as she met his gaze.

"But, I saw this guy Neji that had the same kinda eyes as you. Plus there was this girl I graduated with, uhmm, Hinata! Yeah, her, she looked a lot like you."

"I _was_ a Hyūga," Hanabi said slowly, not looking away from his gaze, wondering why she was bothering to explain this, other than he seemed to make her want to tell him, "but they disowned me. My bloodline has been sealed and I no longer have a family."

Naruto's gaze hardened, with such intensity that Hanabi flinched. Then his eyes softened once more into that curious scowl that made her want to talk to him. Unexpectedly, he grinned, eyes closing in a squint. "So, wanna spar?"

"Excuse me?" Hanabi repeated in surprise, caught off guard by such an offer. His personality seemed to change like a storm, one minute serious, the next lighthearted.

"I asked if ya wanted to spar," Naruto repeated, hands behind his head now. "It won't be much of a workout for me, because, hey, I'm awesome. But it could help you out."

"Thank you," Hanabi said, turning away, "but I would get more from practicing my kata."

"Awww, come on. Don't tell me your scared," Naruto taunted.

"Of course I'm not scared," Hanabi said, turning back to face him. "Who would be scare of you?"

"Iunno, you, maybe?" Naruto said with a shrug. "I just want to spar. Come on. I promise not to hurt you."

"I see no reason to spar you," Hanabi retorted, keeping her anger in check. Her temper had gotten her disowned once, and she would rather not get in trouble over beating up an older boy.

"Oi, I do. See, if you don't spar me then that means you don't want to prove your team wrong," Naruto said, his tone suddenly serious, "which means you believe what they say about you. That you are useless. They probably think you're an egotistical bitch, too."

"I am not useless!" Hanabi shouted, eyes narrowing at him.

"Then prove it," Naruto taunted again, motioning for her to attack. "Come on, or are you a useless, egotistical bitch like they think you are?"

"I," Hanabi hesitated, her anger and wounded pride urging her to assault the boy and consequences be damned. To prove that she was a true kunoichi. That they had no clue who or what she really was. She craved to prove her worth to them, to anyone really, to reclaim even a portion of her former glory.

"Well, are you coming or not?" Naruto asked causally, disdain in his tone.

Wounded pride and fury finally launched her forward.

Seeing not the boy, but father. Clan.

Hanabi struck with a palm heel as she closed in, but Naruto grabbed her wrist and shoved it down while jumping over her. Tumbling forward from the momentum, Hanabi managed a shoulder roll and whipped around, lunging into another series of attacks. The blond boy dodged and jumped each one without much effort.

Infuriated, Hanabi redoubled her efforts, moving from one attack to another, spear hands and palm heels whistling uselessly through the air. Naruto treated each one with equal contempt. Hanabi's anger was growing hot, hotter than anything she had before experienced, and it made her sloppy, which almost got her killed.

She had forgotten about defense, so focused on attack, which meant that when she lunged for a spear-hand to his stomach she left herself wide open to attack.

Naruto spun quickly, his leg whipping up and around in a heel kick which Hanabi just barely ducked. However, Naruto was now off balance and wide open, prompting Hanabi to lunge forward with a palm heel aimed for his shoulder. Hanabi had only one warning that this was a mistake – when he smirked before countering.

Naruto moved like lightning, grabbing her right wrist and stepping inside her stance with his right foot followed by locking his right arm under her shoulder. Then, before Hanabi fully register what he was doing, Naruto pivoted and dropped his weight, throwing her over his hip. Hanabi hit the ground and rolled from the momentum before coming to a stop on her side. Cursing, she scrambled to her feet and found him whistling happily as he stared at the trees.

Hanabi snorted and attacked once more, blinded by her rage. He dodged and weaved through her attacks as easily as she would move through a crowded street, then twisted aside and caught a palm heel she had aimed for his stomach with his left hand. His other hand came up and swept her hand up and back toward her shoulder, followed by a quick pivot as he dropped his weight while whipping his left foot around. She was sent twirling horizontally through the air before landing in a heap.

Hanabi remained motionless for a moment, mind unable to understand how he was doing this. She could see the moves after he started, and she would admit that he was a very fluid fighter, but it was that instant he started them that she couldn't understand. Because he kept "skipping." That was the only way to describe it: One minute a perfect target, and the next he was throwing her around.

Getting up with a huff, she slipped back into her fighting stance, only to find Naruto grinning and "cleaning" his nails. Sensing her attention, he looked up, enacting a mock innocent look. "Oh, are you ready to keep going?"

Hanabi launched herself forward with a scream of righteous indignation, determined to beat him senseless.

Still, thirty minutes later, she was no closer to that goal. Her clothes were dirty, her back and arms bruised from hitting the ground repeatedly and her anger ebbing as bewilderment took its place. Hanabi could admit that, rationally, there was no way she could be much of a challenge for the older ninja, but she should have been able to at least hit him.

Yet, he was continuously dodging her attacks or batting them away without any finesse, revealing just how weak and vulnerable she was without her bloodline to aid her taijutsu. Worst of all, it was making her wonder about her own sensei, who she could occasionally catch with a glancing blow.

"You know," Naruto said casually as he grabbed her wrist in another mid-palm heel attack and somehow managed to flip her as he spun around. Landing adroitly, as she was rapidly gaining a skill at recovering from those flips, Hanabi turned to glare at him "…you're not half bad."

"Of course, you're not half good either."

Hanabi paused, eyes narrowing dangerously, anger spiking once more. "Are you calling me mediocre?"

"Mediocre?" Naruto repeated blankly. "I was just saying you need to spar more, not calling you a name."

Fuming, she darted in with a rapid series of palm heels and a few punches, but struck nothing. He dodged or twisted away from each blow and, in desperation, Hanabi tried to fake him with a left spear-hand, which he dodged but moved directly into the right punch she had been aiming for. Naruto realized the danger in a split second and his left arm shot out to painfully knock her punch aside, followed by his right foot moving forward smoothly.

Suddenly, Hanabi's world spun as his right hand slammed into her left shoulder, while his right leg swept back taking her legs out from beneath her. Hanabi hung in the air for a split second and then crashed painfully into the earth. The fall knocked the air out of her while Naruto kept her right arm stretched and firmly against his chest. Staring up at him, seeing dots from the lack of oxygen, she wondered why he was smiling.

"Not bad, you almost had me!" Naruto said, happily. "I guess I'll have to take you a bit more seriously next time we spar."

Nodding weakly, she let him help her up, but mostly she focused on breathing. Once the dots were gone and she wasn't lightheaded anymore, she turned her attention to just how badly he had beaten her. Admittedly, without her bloodline her taijutsu was less than entirely effective, but she had still managed to at least hit her few other sparring partners.

Naruto though, he had avoided everything she threw and had managed to toss her around as easily as a cat did its kittens. What was more, he moved without telegraphing. One minute, he was there, and the next she would be sailing through the air or striking nothing. Opening her mouth, she started to question him about that when he beat her to the punch.

"Oi, your biggest problem is that you're attacking me head on. I mean, all your attacks came straight at me from the same direction. You should try changing things up, maybe try attacking from different sides," Naruto paused, and then rubbed his chin, eying her. "Like that last attack. You faked me out and attacked from a different angle."

"Jūken is designed specifically to attack in one direction," Hanabi explained with a disdainful sniff. "When combined with the Byakugan it is considered one of the most dangerous styles in the world."

"Well that's stupid," Naruto said, crossing his arms. "Besides, if that was the case, then why didn't I have to use the Hebi style to kick your ass?"

"Because," Hanabi paused, then flushed as she looked away. "I can't use the Byakugan."

"Exactly."

"My bloodline, they sealed it. I have no Byakugan, hence no other abilities. My Jūken is all I have and obviously even it is flawed now," Hanabi said, startled at the obviousness of it while meeting his gaze, daring him to laugh or make fun of her. Instead, she found him staring at her in surprise and, what appeared to be, pity. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Naruto said, waving a hand casually, before beaming at her with his eyes closed and finger held aloft. "How about I teach you one of those moves I used? That way, you'd be able to stand a better chance in a fight."

Hanabi paused, taken back. This was the first time anyone, other than Konohamaru, had offered to teach her. More importantly, he was skilled enough that he could teach her something useful. It didn't take a genius to see the wisdom in learning whatever he was willing to teach. "I would appreciate that."

"Great!" Naruto said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together in anticipation. "First thing you gotta learn is that you're short!"

"I fail to see what my height has to do with anything," Hanabi said evenly, scowling at him.

"Oi, it has a lot to do with what I'm going to teach you. See, being short is good 'cause your center is lower than other people's."

"Center?" Hanabi echoed blankly, before blinking. "You mean my center of gravity?"

"Yeah! See, the lower your center of gravity to an enemy's, the more power you have," Naruto explained, beaming at her. "It also helps with, uh, leverage, which is kinda like using a seesaw to throw someone into the air. Because you apply the power to the part you're attacking, it's focused there-"

"Of course," Hanabi agreed, already grasping what he was telling her. He might not explain things as normal people would, but what he was teaching her was rather handy information. Advanced for a Genin, actually, because he was talking about the keys to a whole style, even if she was only learning a single move.

"Oi, but see, ya gotta remember that the lower your center, the less speed you have. That's not really a problem though, cause you can get speed by making a whipping motion or twisting your hips."

"This in turn, adds more power," Hanabi said, knowing the basic of how a punch was properly thrown and seeing how that was now applied to what he was explaining.

"Yup!" Naruto said, creating two Kage Bunshin – one his height, another hers. "Alright, so this guy's your training partner. You'll be working on a throw I did to you earlier, a pretty good one. Works on all sorts of attacks – crosses, jabs, spinning back-fists – if you do it right..."

"I see, and which throw was this?" Hanabi asked, ruefully aware of how many times she had been flipped.

"Hehe, just watch," Naruto said, then, nodding at his clone to throw a punch, launched into the throw. Naruto twisted aside and caught the punch with his left hand. His other hand came up and swept it back toward the shoulder. He made a quick pivot as he dropped his weight and whipped his left foot around and the clone was sent twirling horizontally through the air before landing in a heap.

Turning, Naruto grinned at her, eyes closed in the fox-like manner of his. "Oi, you can keep a hold of the hand to hurt their elbow or wrist, but for now just work on the throw, ok?"

"Yes," Hanabi agreed, turning to face the smiling blond across from her, lips pressed into a thin line. The clone threw his punch. She twisted, grabbed and somehow tangled her legs up and fell to the ground, pulling the clone down on top of her painfully.

"Err...not quite. Try again," Naruto offered, then demonstrated once more and much slower.

Twenty minutes later, Hanabi finally managed the throw. Staring at the downed clone, Hanabi couldn't help the satisfied smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Naruto let out a happy exclamation and she smiled just a bit more, amazed that someone like him had managed to teach her so well. To think that when she had first met him, Hanabi had doubted he could walk and talk simultaneously, let alone fight.

"You know," Hanabi remarked, glancing at the young man who was preparing to leave, "you'd make a great sensei."

Naruto could only blink.

* * *

Watching the recruits shuffle off, some supported by others, Anko couldn't help but grin in satisfaction. They were all shaping up nicely, maybe the best group she had taught to date. Hell, a few were already starting their practical exams, like Ino.

Her grin faded slightly, thinking about the younger girl, who over the last month had been more antagonistic than she had in years. Due mostly to Naruto, which was strange, to think that their professional relationship could suffer over a boy. Then again, they were both rather fond of said boy.

Shaking it off, Anko settled on rewarding herself with dango from her favorite shop, Hana Yori Dango – a small shop, tucked away in one of the many side streets, where few people ventured. Perfect for Anko, who did not like nor get along with people.

Her desired meal would have to wait, unfortunately, as she came face-to-face with her former student. Anko knew this was more than coincidence by the fact that in one hand he was holding a bag from a dango shop and in the other he was holding a bag from his favorite ramen place. That meant Naruto wanted to talk to her in private, which would be nice. They hadn't spent much time together since he had gotten back.

"Hey, runt," Anko said brightly, coming to a stop just across from him.

"Hey, ya psycho," Naruto returned just as brightly, holding up the bag of dango. "Wanna have lunch together?"

"Well, since you've went through all the trouble," Anko said flippantly as she took the bag and, with a rebounding leap, took to the rooftops. Naruto followed, and they ended up in a race, to where wasn't important. Still, it was refreshing to have this sort of fun again.

Naruto slammed a shoulder into her, forcing her to swerve aside and race along a wall for a moment before she pushed off and threw a series of kunai at him.

Naruto, of course, dodged those, then rebounded off a wall and continued racing alongside her once more. Anko couldn't help but grin, pleased to see that he had gotten more fluid in his movements. A few moments later, Anko surged forward, hands on his shoulders leap-frogging over him. Landing adroitly, she spun and stuck her tongue out at him as she ran backwards over the rooftops. "Nauhya!"

Naruto grinned, rushing forward, leaping and dodging his way after her. Anko turned abruptly, then dropped to the streets below and darted off, followed by Naruto, both zigzagging through the startled crowds.

Suddenly, Naruto was in front of her, apparently jumping off the head of a bald man, who was yelling bloody murder with a healthy dose of cursing.

Now Anko pulled ahead of him after throwing a kunai to drop a string of paper lanterns over the street, which promptly smacked him in the forehead.

Naruto leapt a fence.

Anko pinched his ass and pulled ahead.

Naruto grabbed the collar of her jacket and jerked, causing her to fall on her butt, and he took to the rooftops.

Anko followed and neatly pinned him to a wall with kunai.

Naruto tripped her and shot ahead.

Anko ducked under a low set of scaffolds, and Naruto followed, accidentally hitting the legs, which caused cans of paint to fall along with men. Pulling neck-and-neck once more, both ninja were laughing and Anko spotted the perfect place for lunch – a water tower, which overlooked the eastern side of the village. Pointing it out, she grinned at Naruto. "First one to reach the water tower wins, deal?"

"Deal," Naruto said eagerly.

Anko slugged him in the mouth.

A second later, she landed on the water tower platform, followed shortly after by an irate Naruto.

"I won," Anko chirped.

"You cheated!" Naruto retorted, crossing his arms.

"Nuh uh, I won fair and square."

"Like hell, I would have won that damn race. If you hadn't punched me," Naruto squawked, before scrambling aside as kunai embedded themselves where his foot and groin had just been. "Ok, ok, you win!"

"That's what I thought," Anko said happily and sat down on the edge. She rustled through her bag before turning to Naruto, who was doing the same. "So, what'd you want to talk about?"

"What makes you think I wanted to talk?"

"Well, it's either that," Anko said, a salacious smile on her face as she looked at him, "or you're trying to seduce me with dango."

"Wha? No, I'm not!" Naruto protested, blushing slightly at her suggestion.

"Too bad, cause it was working!" Anko teased, laughing at his sputtering and deepening blush. She honestly couldn't help tease him. A few minutes later, after he had grumbled darkly and she had gotten control of her laughter, she turned serious. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"I met this girl," Naruto said slowly, a slight scowl on his face. "She's like ten or eleven, a Genin-"

"Kind of young for you," Anko quipped, glancing at him. "What's her name?"

"Hanabi," Naruto said, looking at her darkly. "Her family disowned her."

"Oh, her," Anko drawled as she took a bite of her dango, knowing the girl and why he was here eating with her. Naruto took family as something sacred and to be disowned was not something he understood. So he wanted to know why it would happen.

"She wouldn't tell me why, just that they had disowned her and sealed her bloodline."

"First thing you have to remember about the Hyūga, they are all very prideful," Anko said, casually. "Even that Hinata girl. Hanabi, however, well, Hanabi was too prideful, even for a Hyūga."

"Huh?"

"Nobody outside of that clan knows the exact details," Anko said, glancing out over the village. "About a year ago, her father arranged a marriage with another Hyūga. Well, Hanabi didn't want that, because she had a crush on Sandaime's grandson-"

"Konohamaru!"

"Exactly. Anyway, her father tried to force her into the marriage, but she refused. Now, Hiashi has a temper. Normally he keeps it in check, but when it explodes, things don't end well. Hanabi, apparently, is the same way and they argued, and she made a comment along the lines of 'I'd rather stop being a Hyūga than marry him!'"

"Let me guess, Hiashi's temper snapped?" Naruto said in disgust.

"Right in one," Anko said, finishing her first stick of dango and starting the Konoha symbol on the roof below them. "So he went off and threatened her. She shouted back and before Hanabi knew it, her bloodline was sealed. She was disowned and the political enemies of the Hyūga were smelling blood in the water."

Naruto made a noise that he understood, and then spent the next few minutes eating his ramen.

"Now for the fun stuff," Anko said with a smirk as she glanced at Naruto. "Because of her little rebellion, Hiashi had to adopt Neji, his nephew. This in turn pissed of Hiashi's brother, Hizashi, because Neji was his son. Well, along with now being the heir to the Hyūga, since only full blooded Hyūga males can lead, Neji was forced into an engagement with a Hyūga girl."

"What?" Naruto asked, startled, his ramen plopping back into the container.

"Gets better, apparently Neji offered to let Tenten be his 'consort'. She refused, of course..." Anko said with a smile, "and now they're working together and the entire clan is a mess."

"Holy hell," Naruto muttered. Shaking his head, he turned back to his food. Anko did likewise, and the time passed in companionable silence for half an hour before Anko decided to speak up.

"Ok, so why'd you want to know about Hanabi?"

"Well, after I found out I couldn't go on any missions for a month, I was just sorta wandering around looking to do something. So, I decided I'd go train for a bit and I found her training alone."

"So, then you heard her story and decided to...what? Spar her?" Anko asked, raising an eyebrow at him curiously.

"Yeah, after that though, I taught her a move from Ero-sennin's Gama style and I just wanted to know why I tried to help her."

Anko paused, dango halfway to her mouth and glanced at him. She knew exactly what it was that had drawn Naruto to Hanabi, why he had bothered to try and help the girl. Just like Naruto, herself, and Ino, Hanabi had a craving; an intense desire to show that she was worth more than she had been given credit for.

She also knew why Hanabi had opened up to Naruto, had told personal information to him so willingly, the boy, like Orochimaru and the Yondaime, had this pull to him that made you want his attention, his approval. Naruto, on an instinctual level, inspired trust and loyalty in people like Hanabi. Proof existed in Ino, because it had been Naruto, not Hayate or Yugao, that had first drawn her into Kenjutsu.

"Oi, then she said something really strange," Naruto continued, an uncertain tone in his voice. "She said I'd make a great sensei and asked if we could train again tomorrow."

Anko blinked and turned her full attention on the boy, seeing the way he was staring at her. He wanted to believe it, he wanted to be a sensei, and she could see it in his eyes. Naruto, however, wasn't ready to train a team. He might never be ready for that type of situation. An apprentice, though, Anko could see him able to handle that, but it would have to be one with whom he felt a connection.

"Ask Kakashi," Anko said, finishing her dango and pointing the stick at him, "to transfer Hanabi to you."

"Huh?"

"Make her your apprentice," Anko explained, eyes closed with satisfaction in that psychotically pleased way she had. "That way, you'd both get what you need."

"But I'm a Chūnin!"

"A highly trained Chūnin," Anko pointed out with a hint of pride. "You've trained with the most beautiful and psychotic kunoichi in Konoha, and a Sannin who happens to be the biggest pervert in the world. If it weren't for that stupid point system for promotion and the lack of a war, you'd be a Jōnin by now."

"Do you think I can really do it?" Naruto asked softly, reminding Anko of just how much her opinion mattered to him.

"Of course! You're Uzumaki-fucking-Naruto. When you put your mind to something, there's nothing you can't do," Anko said firmly. "Besides, it's not like you'd be the first Chūnin to have an apprentice. Jiraiya had one, so did Gai, and, way back in their day, so did the Shodai and Nidaime."

"Then that's what I'll do!" Naruto said, enthusiastically. "Tomorrow, first thing, I'll go ask the masked perv to transfer Hanabi!"

"Great," Anko chimed gleefully, twirling her stick before tossing it to complete the Konoha symbol on the roof below them, "and if you fuck up, I promise I'll gut you!"

"Really? Thanks!" Naruto shot back just as cheerfully.

"Now that you know what you're going to do for the next month, are you going to continue telling me about your trip?" Anko asked, selecting a new stick of dango and grinning at him.

"Sure," Naruto said, turning back to his ramen before scowling slightly. "So, where'd I stop last time?"

"You'd just left Kaminari no Kuni and your precious Yugito-chan-"

"I told you, it was just a…well, you know," Naruto protested, blushing despite his best efforts not to.

"A drunken one night stand, I know," Anko said dismissively, grinning, "and I told you I didn't care if you two fucked the entire time you were there."

"Anyway," Naruto said, blushing brighter, "I told you about Mizu no Kuni and the bounty hunter bit, right?"

Anko nodded with a grin while munching contentedly on her food.

"Ok, so I've told you up to about the same place as Ino-chan then," Naruto said conversationally, before continuing. "So, after Mizu no Kuni and that whole mess, we went south, past Sea country to this little island next to a giant whirlpool-"

"Uzu no Kuni," Anko supplied and then joined Naruto in silence, feeling the loss along with him. After all, Naruto was the closest thing she had to a family and when he was hurt, she felt it.

"So, after that we moved on to Kaze no Kuni, cause of the Icha Icha book tour," Naruto continued after another moment of silence. "I really went there to unseal Gaara, though now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I wanted to in the first place."

"So, you unsealed an unstable Jinchūriki with homicidal tendencies who makes serial killers look like saints?"

"Well, no. By the time we got there, they had figured it out," Naruto admitted with a chuckle. "He promised to be the one to kill me, though. On the upside, I did get to meet the Daimyo and the Kazekage, who are both big fans of the series."

"Well, as long as you met them," Anko said sarcastically, shooting him a grin that he readily returned.

"Anyway, while we were there, I started learning wind jutsu big time," Naruto said before slurping down some ramen.

"I've been meaning to ask, how, pray tell, did you manage that?" Anko asked, mildly curious, as Suna would not be likely to let him learn anything if they could help it.

"Funny how you can buy Ninjutsu scrolls when you disguise yourself with the 'Sexy no Jutsu: Variation' to look like Gaara or his sister," Naruto said, a small smirk on his face.

Anko started laughing at the concept: A foreign ninja buying your village's Ninjutsu scrolls and you willingly selling it to them? A comedy waiting to happen and, knowing Naruto, he hadn't restricted himself to just buying scrolls.

"So, after I bought them…and convinced everyone Gaara wore his sister's underwear-" Naruto said, then had to stop as Anko's laughter grew to new heights before she recovered enough for him to continue his story. "Anyway, after I got it, I started reading. I already knew a few from what you taught me, the Fūton: Daitoppa and Kaze no Yaiba."

"I see, so you just learned wind jutsu from the scroll?"

"Yeah," Naruto beamed before sighing. "But there are others. Some involved using a fan, so they didn't work out to good, but I learned everything I could and spent the rest of my time just making up new wind jutsu. Even reinvented the Shodai Kazekage's Kazeryudan no Jutsu!"

"Impressive," Anko said, eyes glinting as she realized the level he was at now. "So you just learned wind jutsu? I mean, yeah, they were impressive in our little tussle, but I expected you to know all sorts of other jutsu when you came back."

"Well, I know a few other basic jutsu," Naruto admitted with a shrug. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu, Kuchiyoise no Jutsu, Fuuja Houin, Konpasu no Jutsu, Jinrai no Jutsu, Suriou no Jutsu, Bakuretsu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and Chakra Jirai no Jutsu."

"That's it?" Anko asked, a tad underwhelmed by the lack of variety. Admittedly, most were useful, even impressive, but they lacked the 'oomph' she had been expecting. When the Yondaime had turned up after his training, the Hokage-to-be had known a frightening amount of Jutsu. With what Naruto was listing, it was obvious that when he finally made Jōnin, it'd be as a Tokubetsu Jōnin for his apparent combat expertise.

"Well, Ero-sennin said that my affinity for the wind element was unusually strong, so we played to the strength. All totaled, I guess I have about twenty-some odd Fūton Jutsu and Kaze Junkyo Jutsu, nothing below C-Rank. Other than that, I spent my time completing the Rasengan."

"Wait, what'd you just say?" Anko said, startled out of her thoughts and now gawking at the young man, who blinked and grinned sheepishly. Had he just said he had worked on _completing_ the Rasengan, the Yondaime's signature move, which was viewed by many as a perfect attack?!

"Err...yeah, the Rasengan. See, Minato wanted to combine both element and form manipulation into one move, which is insanely hard. The Rasengan was just stage one, but he never got the chance to complete it, so…I took over. I can combine them, but I sorta cheat by using Kage Bunshin to do the elemental portion."

"S-so," Anko paused, wetting her lips, staring at him with impossibly wide eyes, "you completed a ninjutsu that the Yondaime, who is claimed to be the best ninja we've ever had, couldn't?"

"Well, yeah, but…I used Kage Bunshin to sorta cut down on the time it took," Naruto explained even more sheepishly. "I spent a month on element manipulation but couldn't get it, so I decided to use the Kage Bunshin method."

"Which is what?"

"I created three thousand Kage Bunshin every day for a month, training entirely on element manipulation," Naruto said, flatly. "I got roughly nine years worth of training and spent the next four months in a coma."

"Baka!" Anko said, reflexively bashing him upside the head and glaring at him. Naruto had the decency to look a tad apologetic, even if he really wasn't. "Well, tell me you at least got the training done."

"Yeah, I got it. Which was neat, cause it let me recreate the Shodai Kazekage's 'Kazeryudan no Jutsu'. Remember, that wind dragon I used in our sparring match?" Naruto said brightly before shaking his head. "It still took me a year to finally combine the two and let me tell you something, the Fūton: Rasengan hurts like you wouldn't believe."

Anko was seriously impressed, and overwhelmed: He had specialized in wind Jutsu, finished a famous jutsu that the Yondaime hadn't been able to complete, and had recreated a Kage's move. For the first time, Anko considered the possibility that he was stronger than her now, which was both good and bad.

They were going to have to fight again and, this time, include all their techniques.

"So, after we got out of Kaze no Kuni we went to Numa no Kuni," Naruto said after a moment, obviously trying to give her time to get a grip and Anko appreciated the effort. "It stank like hell and there was this bog of the dead…ugh, horrible."

"Yeah, Sensei used to like it," Anko said, almost absently, remembering those bogs where the dead bodies were buried. Not that they stayed buried. Those bodies would often rise up partially out of the ground, which had been the origin of the zombie legends that haunted that country. "He said it reminded him of why he was seeking immortality."

"Yeah, well, goody for him. I hated it there. I was more than happy when we finally got to the coast and rented the boat," Naruto said, emphatically. "Ero-sennin seemed happy, too. Of course, that could be because we were about to go off into the great unknown."

"Huh? Where'd you go?" Anko asked, focusing on him completely once more.

"Ah, that, my dear psychotic bitch," Naruto said with a teasing grin and a wink, "is a story for another day."

"Oh no you don't!" Anko said, lunging at the grinning boy. A brief scuffle ensued, in which Naruto came off worse for the wear, before employing a strange jutsu that allowed him to escape without her notice.

Standing on the water tower platform, Anko swore colorfully, realizing Naruto had neglected to mention that he had learned Jiraiya's infamous 'Touton no Jutsu'. She was going to kick his ass the next time she saw him.

* * *

Yamanaka Ino hummed softly as she strolled down the street. It was a little past nine and she was currently heading for Rezuba-ru, her favorite bar, after completing her ANBU training for the day. Admittedly when she had first stumbled across the place, she hadn't known that Rezuba-ru was a lesbian bar. Not that it made much of a difference to Ino, the main selling point for her came from the fact that as a women-only bar, this was a sanctuary, because it kept idiots like Sakini Duc from following her after work and hitting on her. Though that habit had recently, until Naruto's return, earned her a few uncomfortable moments in the locker room.

Not that its lack of male population was the only thing Rezuba-ru had going for it, located in a little used area of the village; it had a pleasent feeling, despite a few overly agressive women, with decent music that helped ease the tension of the day and if one wanted, you could hide away from the world in a corner booth. Ino typically sat at the bar, and had long since established that she wasn't interested in their games, though she sometimes had to give occassional reminders.

Not that she alone, was unique in that; there was one other straight woman that frequented the bar. Yuhi Kurenai was there almost every night, tucked away one of the corner booths, shedding her carefully projected mask of professionalism. Anyone that saw the way she held her cup of sake listlesslly, the numerous bottles that littered the table, the dull look in her eyes would know that Kurenai was in all reality slowly falling apart.

The genjutsu expert had good reason to fall apart: two of her students had betrayed her and the village; the fact that she had considered one a younger sister only made it worse, and Kurenai blamed herself. The Jōnin believed that she had failed Konoha and her children, and let everyone down because of the decision they had made. Which explained why she had broken up with Asuma shortly afterwards, much to the vocal disproval of her Clan. Shortly after that, she had been removed from active duty, forced to work in the Hokage Tower assigning missions for the last three years.

Ino shook her head, turning her mind away from the tangent it had taken toward Kurenai and those two betrayers, bottling her hostility as she focused instead on the present. A second later, she let out a yelp as a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and someone shouted her name from behind. Whirling around, hand on the kodachi, Ino glared at the only person that could continuously sneak up behind her without warning.

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU DO THAT?!" Ino shouted in frustration at the clueless Naruto.

"Well, first you take a deep breath then you say the name, but really loud-" Naruto started to explain, tilting his head slightly.

"No, I mean," Ino started then threw her hands up in defeat. "Oh, screw it! I don't care. Honestly, I don't."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"...momentary lapse in judgment," Ino muttered then crossed her arms. After a moment of him just smiling at her, hands behind his head, she felt her eye twitch in annoyance. "Well?!"

"Oh, well, I just wanted to say 'hi,'" Naruto explained brightly. "Oh, and to say I'm sorry for earlier, I mean, I guess I shouldn't have tried to make you laugh. I just don't like it when you're all serious."

"Its ok," Ino said after a moment, mastering her anger from earlier, touched that he was apologizing. "I know you're not a serious person, but training is a big deal for me."

"Oi, I can understand," Naruto said with a nod, then winked. "Still, how about I buy you a drink to make up for it?"

"Well," Ino temporized, then, remembering where she was heading, decided that he did deserve to suffer for his constant sneaking up on her. "Sure, I was just heading for Rezuba-ru, so you can buy me one there."

"Great!" Naruto said, oblivious to the danger he was now placing himself in.

Grinning, Ino turned and continued on her way with Naruto at her side. This was going to be good, great even. No guy had ever been in the bar and no matter how skilled, Naruto wouldn't stand a chance against the Amazonian bouncer and former ANBU. Ino was rather vindictive, just like her father.

A few moments later, they rounded the last corner and they came in sight of the bar, a pale yellow building, with pinstriped blue blinds, and two red doors. They could hear the faint thumping beat from the music inside. Glancing at Naruto, who had his head tilted, she smirked, unnoticed. "Well, Naruto-kun, come on."

Ino hurried across the street, followed by Naruto, nodding at the bouncer, a large woman named Kochou, who held the door open for Naruto. The boy opened his mouth to make a wise crack, when Kochou grabbed the back of his jacket and yanked him back so that he landed on his ass in the street.

"Oi, what was that for!?" Naruto shouted, jumping up and glaring at the unimpressed woman.

"Women only," Kochou said simply.

"What?" Naruto shouted again, blinking "Oi, you can't do that!"

"Yes, I can," Kochou retorted, blandly.

"Ino-chan!" Naruto said heatedly, looking at her as if expecting her to help.

Ino smiled slightly, it was nice to see him flustered, and shrugged. "Sorry, Naruto-kun, rules are rules."

"Oi, I'm going in there," Naruto said heatedly, turning back to the woman who merely glowered at him.

"Do you know how many guys have said that?" Kochou asked after a moment, crossing her arms. "No guys ever managed to get in there and stay."

"I will!" Naruto said sharply, setting his jaw. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I promise that I will not only get inside, but I will stay!"

"Sure, but not tonight," Kochou said sourly, before turning to Ino. "You might not want to go in there either, Ino-chan. Tonight is Date Night."

"Ah," Ino said, allowing the door to swing closed behind her, preferring to not expose herself to women actively hitting on her.

"Oi, what the hell is date night?" Naruto demanded, crossing his arms.

"Nothing you need to see," Ino said, feeling slightly uneasy about his reaction if he found out what would be going on inside the bar. If he was like other guys, the concept of girls making out and hitting on each other would make him lose all common sense.

Walking over, she spun him around and then started pushing from behind. "Come on, you can walk me home."

"But-"

"No buts," Ino said, moving around to walk beside him.

He seemed more put out than she expected and he didn't say a word the entire time they walked together. Ino had to admit it was kind of nice to have someone walking beside her, enjoying the night even if they weren't talking.

"Oi, Ino-chan, I've been wondering…" Naruto said after a moment

"What is it?"

"Remember three years ago, when I left?" Naruto said carefully, looking at her.

Ino nodded, her mouth suddenly dry, unable to believe he was bringing this up. Especially now, when she thought the subject buried and taboo between them. She was saved from continuing the conversation, however, when her house came into view.

"Oi, wait a minute," Naruto said, blinking. "Isn't this your parent's place?"

"Yes," Ino said, leading the way to the door.

"You still live at home?" Naruto asked, slightly amazed.

"Yeah, I do. Got a problem with that?" Ino asked with a note of challenge in her tone, taking his amazement as a bad thing.

"No, I just…" Naruto paused. "Well, I always figured you'd be out on your own."

"Well, it's nice, they let me live my own life," Ino explained before turning to say goodnight, only find his face near her own. Her breath hitched slightly at the suddenness, the way his hair and eyes almost seemed to glow in the moonlight.

"Ino-chan," Naruto said, dreadfully soft, "I…do you…uhmm…"

"Y-yes?"

"Well, uh…do you still…wear strawberry lipstick?" Naruto asked a tad awkwardly.

"I…y-yeah I do," Ino said, then gulped as his face moved just a bit closer to hers. "Why?"

"I just, well…it tasted good three years ago," Naruto admitted, nervously.

Ino stared at him, her head tilting slightly, unsure why exactly she was doing so. His breath was warm on her face. She could almost feel his mouth on hers.

They jerked apart at the sound of the front door opening.

"Ino, is that you?" her father said, standing in the open doorway, a look of mild curiosity on his face. He spotted Naruto and his curiosity turned to wariness. "Eh, when'd you get back?"

"Not too long ago," Naruto said quickly, scratching the back of his head, his body language screaming of guilt.

"Ah," Inoichi said, turning back to Ino. "Ino, since you're home, your mother would like some help in the kitchen and you know me."

"Yeah," Ino breathed, both disappointed and only slightly relieved. Turning to Naruto, she noted his blush and knew her own cheeks were just as red. "I'll see you later."

Naruto nodded, shooting her father a glance, then turned and walked off into the night. Ino stared after him for a moment, and then glared at her father before moving past him to enter the house. Sometimes, it really sucked having a parent that was a Jōnin: He always interrupted things.

Even though Ino wasn't sure she had wanted that kiss to happen.


	8. Chapter 6: Training

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 6:  
_-Training-  
_By Geor-sama

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?" Akashatsu asked respectfully as he entered the office.

"Ah, Akashatsu-san," the masked Hokage said pleasantly, looking up from his paperwork with a rare air of authority, knowing that the man was in awe. Few Jōnin actually entered the Hokage's office and even fewer were summoned personally, a rare honor and privilege. "Glad you could make it."

"I'm honored that you wanted to speak to me," the Jōnin said, moving closer to the desk and standing at attention, determined to make a good impression.

"Yes, about that. There was something brought to my attention about you and your team."

"Whatever you need of us, we'll happily provide."

"Relax," Kakashi said, a tad annoyed at the Jōnin's stiffness. Then again, when frequently dealing with the likes of Anko and Naruto, he found it easy to forget how formal people could be talking to the Hokage. "I recently received a request for one of your students to be transferred to another person."

"Someone wants one of them as an apprentice?" Akashatsu said in surprise. "Why?"

"That's something that person can probably explain better," Kakashi evasively answered, since he honestly had no idea why Naruto had requested the transfer after the way their last meeting had went. Not that Kakashi would refuse, it had become apparent to Kakashi that Naruto needed someone around, hopefully to serve the role that he had for Anko three years ago. "I just need to know that you would agree to the transfer, if this person can offer a good reason."

"Well, Hokage-sama, I just...Who's asking?"

"I am," a boisterous voice said, entering the office. "Oi, morning!"

"Aha, Naruto, morning!" Kakashi shot back, eye curving up happily as the blond flopped himself causally into the chair before the desk. Turning back, he addressed the stunned Jōnin. "I trust you know of Uzumaki Naruto?"

"O-of course," Akashatsu managed thickly, his eyes wide and staring at the seated blond. "He's the one that...Well, of course, I know him. Everyone in Konoha knows what he did for us three years ago. I am honored to meet such a hero."

"Eh, so this guy agree to give me Hanabi or what?" Naruto asked, hooking his thumb at the man while addressing the Hokage.

"Not just yet."

"Wait," Akashatsu interjected, staring between them in confusion. "He wants to take _that_ girl as his apprentice? He can't be serious."

"Oi, why shouldn't I?" Naruto asked, getting to his feet to stare down the man.

"Well, for one thing, her taijutsu is subpar. For another, her attitude stinks, she refuses to learn anything I try to teach and constantly goes off to train on her own. Plus, whenever we have a mission, she's the one that causes it to result in failure: We can't even attempt a C-rank mission."

"Well, from what I hear, you never really try to teach her. You show her a jutsu, and then make fun of her when she can't do it," Naruto said blandly, turning to face Kakashi. "Plus, she won't listen to him because he won't show her what he's capable of."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Akashatsu asked, bristling. "I've sparred all of them: They know I can beat them."

"When was the last time you just kicked their asses?" Naruto asked, turning back to him, a challenging tone in his voice. "Look, are you going to let me have her or not? 'Cause I have ramen waiting on me."

"You want the little bitch, you can have her," Akashatsu muttered, shaking his head.

"Thanks!" Naruto beamed, before a killer intent radiated through the room that was enough to make Kakashi stiffen. "Oi, and never call my apprentice that again or I'll have to perform that eunuch-no-jutsu Anko told me about."

"That is so touching!" Kakashi beamed, his heart genjutsu appearing behind him. "Well, if that's all, I guess you're free to go, Akashatsu-san."

"Hokage-sama," the Jōnin said and offered a polite bow. Nodding curtly to Naruto, he turned and left at a hurried pace.

"So, you've got an apprentice," Kakashi said, turning back to face a still smiling Naruto "I guess you know that means I can't give you any more high-rank missions."

"Hey, waitaminute!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes wide. "I was doing high-rank missions when I was a Genin with Anko! Why can't she do them with me?"

"Because you're a Chūnin and, skilled though you are, I'm not willing to risk a Genin," Kakashi explained, turning serious. "You wouldn't be able to make proper judgment calls."

"Oi, I could too!" Naruto protested heatedly.

"Ok," Kakashi said, deciding to illustrate his point. "Lets say Konoha was at war and you were assigned this mission: Sneak behind the enemy and destroy the bridge they need to receive supplies. Now, during this mission your team splints and you know you're both facing Jōnin level ninja, which means she's assured a painful death. So, what do you do? Forget about her and complete the mission, or do you abandon the mission and go after her?"

"Finish the mission. That's one of those risks everyone takes."

"Which is exactly why you won't be taking Hanabi on any high-rank missions," Kakashi said with finality, displeased to hear his own answer thrown back at him after all these years.

"Oh come on!"

"No," Kakashi said, even more firmly. "Naruto, you have no clue what it really means to make a decision like that. You cannot sacrifice your teammates solely to complete a mission, especially when they are not as strong or experienced as you are."

"But, but, I'm a Chūnin! Doesn't it mean I'm supposed to make that kind of decision?!"

"If you had a team of experienced Chūnin, then, yes, I'd agree," Kakashi said patiently, driven by a need to make Naruto understand this situation. "Naruto, those in the ninja world who break the rules and regulations are called trash, but those who don't care about their companions are even worse."

"What if-"

"Hanabi isn't ready for a high-rank mission. She won't be for a while and you aren't ready to accept the kind of weight that would fall on your shoulders if you got her killed by making an otherwise sound command decision."

"But-"

"No."

"I'm not taking D-rank missions." Naruto grated out, arms crossed.

"Then you're not getting any missions. Until I'm sure Hanabi is ready, until she's proven herself ready, you're both stuck on D-rank missions."

"...fuck!" Naruto grumbled, throwing his hands into the air. "How in the hell is she supposed to prove herself ready if we won't have any missions?"

"That's your problem," Kakashi said simply. "You're her sensei now. You figure out how to prove her readiness to me."

"Fine!" Naruto nearly shouted before rounding on a heel and storming out of his office.

* * *

Hanabi was a light sleeper. She woke up almost instantly at the sound of old people moving around and talking loudly to each other. She remained motionless under the covers of her futon.

Another day. She'd made it another day.

No assassination attempts in the night.

No assassination successes.

She had survived.

Still, Hanabi remained perfectly still, staring up at the ceiling.

She gathered the will power to get up and face another day. After a brief struggle, she remembered that she had training with Naruto after the mission to look forward to, so she sat up. Her hair a mess, she swept the room causally, noting the low table and two chairs facing each other. Closing her eyes, the young girl took several deep breaths, then opening then sighed heavily.

Her room was one of many in a former Uchiha nursing home, though it now served as sub par, cheap housing. Like every morning, she was forcefully reminded by her mediocre surroundings that she had fallen far from her once lofty position as Hyūga. Hanabi sighed her private mantra -I am more than they believe- flashing through her mind as she got to her feet.

The room was fairly comfortable for the average person, but for a Hyūga who was used to tall ceilings and expansive rooms, it was cramped. Straw mats creaking under her feet, Hanabi crossed her unadorned quarters to the doors and slid them open. In the hallway, Hanabi was greeted with shoddy Ukiyo-e reproductions and grumbling old people living on fixed incomes.

She had to repress her shudder, walking the hallway to the communal bath, listening to two of the older women talk about their grandchildren's visit.

By the time she returned to her room, Hanabi was more than ready to leave. Still, she controlled her rush to leave by dressing methodically, pulling on her lightweight black pants with silver mesh accents on the thighs and front pockets, followed by her black, sleeveless zip up shirt with silver mesh accents on the shoulders. Not her favorite outfit, but all she could afford to buy.

Dressed and properly resigned to her current situation, Hanabi collected her forehead protector, weapons pouch and was out the door. Now, all she had to do was buy breakfast of the day and she would be ready to start her morning. Weaving through the hustling and bustling streets of Konoha, she caught a scent she had missed for a long time.

Fresh, warm Uirō.

Her stomach rumbled and her mouth watered. Uirō had been her favorite food growing up, but living off a Genin salary all her money went toward rent, and she wasn't one to splurge. Then again, it could help brighten her day a little more, so maybe it wouldn't hurt just this once. Her tratiorous stomach rumbled threateningly, demanding the confection.

It was unanimous.

Munching away happily on the rare treat, Hanabi considered how the day was beginning to look up. First, there was the Uirō, then she had a team meeting, and, finally, she would learn another move when she met up with Naruto. Hanabi privately gloated at her change in luck, ignoring the crassness of doing so.

Reaching her team's designated training area, Hanabi was surprised to find Naruto sitting on a post, eating ramen. Stopping just on the edge of the field, she considered the scene, knowing that by all rights he was not supposed to be there.

"Uzumaki-san?"

"Hanabi," Naruto returned, slurping his ramen down with enthusiasm normally reserved for delicacies. "Morning!"

"Good morning," Hanabi said, moving closer before stopping. "Uzumaki-san, may I inquire as to why you are here?"

"Er…Inquire means to ask, right?" Naruto fished cluelessly, leaving Hanabi uncertain as to whether he honestly didn't know what the word meant or not. Before she could reach an answer, he had waved it off and stood up, producing two kunai. He'd discarded his finished ramen. "Oi, so guess I better explain the rules, huh?"

"Rules?" Hanabi echoed back in confusion, eyeing the blades he was brandishing. "Uzumaki-san, what are you-"

"First," Naruto said sending a kunai speeding toward her feet, "as of this morning, you call me Naruto-sensei."

"Naruto...sensei?" Hanabi managed, feeling more than a little off-kilter at this revelation.

"Yup, masked perv asked the idiot who was teaching you if I could have you," Naruto explained with a bright smile. "So you're my apprentice."

"Ah, that explains everything," Hanabi said, then paused. "Who exactly is masked perv, Naruto-sensei?"

"Eh? That'd be the Hokage," Naruto answered, hopping off the post to land nimbly at its base. Hanabi was still digesting the fact that Naruto, _her_ _**sensei**_, was openly calling the Hokage a masked pervert. That spoke of a great deal of power, which, honestly, impressed her far more than his teaching had.

"So, Naruto-sensei, what is the second rule?"

"Second," Naruto said, his smile in place once more while twirling a kunai on his finger. "We start with taijutsu sparring every day, but not until this kunai hits that tree."

Hanabi opened her mouth to ask which tree, but Naruto had already grasped the kunai with three fingers and flicked his wrist sending it thudding into a nearby tree without looking.

Obviously, sparring started now and Hanabi darted forward, preparing to be thrown around once more. The Genin found herself within striking distance without Naruto moving and she drove her hand forward for a spear hand. Naruto twisted his body, swatting her blow aside like a fly, then jabbed a single knuckle into her chest, blinding her with pain. Before she could adjust, Naruto slammed a punch into her mouth that sent her crashing to the ground in a spray of blood.

Clutching at her mouth, Hanabi focused entirely on her pain and forgot utterly about Naruto.

What happened, why had he punched her? They were just sparring. Kami almighty, it hurt. Why had he done that? Kami, why wouldn't the pain stop? She wanted the pain to stop. She didn't even need to test them with her tongue to know she had loose teeth, her jaw aching beyond description and her chest burning like a hot coal had been shoved down her throat. Hanabi lay there, clutching her mouth, fingers growing slick with blood, before the pain finally ebbed enough to allow her to sit up and glare at the boy.

She found Naruto, glaring down at her with a look of utter disdain.

"Vhy you'd punbh me?" Hanabi asked angrily, spitting blood from her mouth as politely as she could.

"Because I could," Naruto answered blandly. "Now what the hell are you doing just sitting there? I didn't say we were done."

"Vat!" Hanabi exclaimed, eyes widening. "Are you insane?"

"The real question isn't if I'm insane, it's if you're a ninja or not," Naruto taunted, loathing in his tone, "which all things considered, I guess you're not."

Hanabi bristled at that, her pride wounded doubly. He was saying she was useless. She wasn't useless! She'd prove it to him

Forgetting her lingering pain, Hanabi regained her feet and lunged forward once more.

Naruto causally blocked her palm heel and backhanded her with enough force to send her spinning to the ground. Hanabi recovered and turned to impotently glare at him, the darkening bruise on her cheek going unnoticed amidst the other injuries she had suffered so far.

Naruto was smiling.

"First off, don't attack me head on. Do it again and I'll break your damn jaw."

Hanabi nodded curtly and then darted forward, trying to circle around him. A minute later, his elbow connected with her other cheek and she went to the ground once more, rolled awkwardly and regaining her feet with a visible sway. Her head was swimming. It felt like he was trying to take her head off with those blows. Maybe she should rethink this concept of sparring him.

"You might be a ninja after all," Naruto allowed, a sadistic smile on his face.

That was all Hanabi needed to hurl herself back into the training.

* * *

Hyūga Hinata was a proud Kunoichi. She had risen through the ranks, inspired by her memories of a blond haired, blue-eyed boy who had always refused to give up. She had pushed hard to gain enough skill for the Chūnin exams, had, with encouragement from Neji, forced her team to take the exams. Later, with her skills as a tracker, she joined the Konoha Military Police as a detective partnered to Inuzuka Kiba.

She had become friends with Tenten, Neji's ex, and even made a bit of a name for herself.

Currently, Hinata was sitting in a small restaurant with Tenten, senzai beans and cinnamon rolls for her, and sesame dango for Tenten, discussing Hinata's thoughts on trying for Jōnin.

"-but Hinata, you're one of the best people we have at the Military Police. Wasn't it you and Kiba-kun who caught that Gennou who was planting bombs all over the place? You'd be perfect for Jōnin!"

"A-anou, Tenten, I'm just not... I don't like, uhm, high-rank missions and, I'd...well, Choji..." Hinata protested softly, eyes drifting away from the other girl. Choji was becoming something of a sore point for Hinata. He was a great guy, but they just weren't getting along like they used to. Then there was Kiba, who kept asking her out with near terrifying tenacity and seemed interested in the same things she was.

"This isn't about him: Its about you," Tenten said firmly, jabbing a finger at the table top. "You need to do this. Look, I'm sure Asuma-san would be happy to sign off on your attempt and Neji would do the second recommendation. Besides, its not like you'd have to push yourself to get through fifty high-rank missions as quickly as you could. Only a psycho would do that. You can do D- and C-rank missions. It'll take longer, but you need something to work toward."

"I-I don't know," Hinata mumbled, picking politely at her food, thinking hard about the decision. Looking up, she prepared to ask Tenten if she really thought she was right for the rank, only to find Tenten waving at someone behind Hinata. Turning, Hinata blanched. There was no mistaking that blond ponytail or that barely street-legal outfit.

Yamanaka Ino, a childhood friend of Choji who was convinced that Hinata was cheating on him. Hinata wasn't, of course. Well, unless you count the occasional erotic dream, but Ino was determined it was true. Hinata and Ino didn't get along that well. Their distaste for one another was almost legendary, really, so Hinata wondered why Tenten was waving her over in the first place.

"Tenten, anou, what are you doing?" Hinata hissed under her breath, turning back to the other girl.

"Well, I'm trying to find out about Naruto. I mean, he did save Konoha and me," Tenten answered, her smile never slipping. "Why else would I call that bitch over here?"

"Tenten-san," Ino suddenly piped up, having reached their table, then her gaze settled on Hinata. Thankfully, the girl ignored her and turned back to Tenten. "How you been?"

"Fine," Tenten answered, motioning for her to have a seat. "Busy as the Lead Investigator, but nothing too bad. Neji seems to be trying really hard to keep my case load light after his 'mistress' offer."

Ino chuckled at that, while Hinata forced a smile. Hinata knew why Tenten had rejected the offer, but she also couldn't quite understand it due to her own upbringing. After all, it had been a way to stay together. To have his child and to raise a family with the boy she loved. Not that it mattered now anyway.

"So, I heard Uzumaki-san is back in town," Tenten said, and Hinata focused on the conversation once more.

"Naruto-kun? Yeah, he's back. Guess he hasn't been getting around much," Ino said absently as she ordered sweet tomato pudding. "Naruto-kun's been focusing on Jōnin."

"Really?" Tenten asked, obviously taken aback. "I didn't know he was already into the mission rotation. Normally, if you're just full-time ninja, don't they put you back in a team?"

"Normally," Ino agreed, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, "but Naruto-kun's been running solo missions."

Hinata paused, both at the information and the slightly prideful way Ino had provided that tidbit of information. "Anou, solo... but he's only a Chūnin."

"Well, unlike _some_ Chūnin," Ino said, glancing at Hinata causally, "he's talented, trained by a Sannin and apprenticed to one of the top kunoichi in Konoha."

"Still, its unusual," Tenten said, leaning in slightly toward Ino. "So, do you know how many mission's he's done so far?"

"Three B-rank and five A-rank missions," Ino bragged, "but, apparently, he's gotta spend the next month off duty."

"Why?" Hinata found herself asking, fascinated by the news about Naruto and Ino's overt possessiveness.

"Iunno, when I asked Anko-sensei, she told me they only let you run eight high-rank missions back-to-back. You have to take time off afterwards," Ino explained, shrugging before starting on her pudding. She froze with the spoon almost to her lips. "H-Hinata...Isn't that...Hanabi?"

Curious, Hinata turned and spied her younger sister –for she could never disown Hanabi despite clan orders– standing just inside the doorway. Her clothes were torn, stained with dirt and dried blood, even more alarming were the bruises on her face and dried blood caking her hair and chin. The girl moved mechanically through the stunned restaurant crowd and took a seat at their table without a word of acknowledgement, her head hitting the table with a thump.

"H-Hanabi?" Tenten murmured, sharing a look with the other two kunoichi.

"Urk..." was Hanabi's only response.

Hinata felt a mild panic forming in her stomach. What, or who, could have done this to her sister? Her wounds were cruel, almost inhumane. Hanabi was only a child! There was no reason for this. None!

"Hanabi, are you ok?" Ino asked, moving around the table to sit next to the wounded girl, a hand glowing with a faint green.

At Hanabi's continued silence, Hinata hesitantly put a hand on the younger girl's shoulders. "Anou, Hanabi-imouto, what have you been doing?"

"For the last ten hours," Hanabi said slowly, sitting up, pulling herself back together and meeting Hinata's worried gaze with her own intent look, "I have been training with an insane, sadistic, egomaniacal fool."

"W-what about-" Hinata started to say before Hanabi curtly cut her off.

"The Hokage has, in his _infinite_ wisdom, transferred me to a new sensei who is intent on torturing me to death," Hanabi said firmly. Taking Hinata's cup of jasmine tea, she gulped it down and stood, causing Ino's hand to fall away. "If you will excuse me, I have to return to my training now. Naruto-sensei only gave me twenty minutes before we start the intensive portion of the day's training."

Watching her go, all three kunoichi sat there in stunned silence before looking back at each other in utter confusion.

"Naruto..." Tenten trailed off blankly.

"Sensei?" Hinata continued, stunned and worried for her sister, and more than a little upset at this brutal side to Naruto.

"Well, I'll be damned," Ino muttered.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was not entirely sure what to make of his apprentice. Hanabi was determined, that was for sure. She was also much less vocal than the fighters Naruto was used to. He had stomped her into the ground and she took it all without a word or complaint. She had taken each blow, struggled to her feet, and kept attacking with a single mindedness that he found somewhat impressive.

Stirring his ramen absently, he mused about what to do next. It depended on Hanabi and whether she decided to report back after lunch. He'd only started this morning like Anko because he wanted to see if Hanabi was committed enough for this training. If she came back, then he had a ninja on his hands, if not, he had wasted his morning.

If she did come back, Naruto decided, slurping down some of his ramen, he would start on the basic jutsu that she lacked. After that, he would concentrate on weapons practice, chakra and stamina building, then sparring, so she could try to combine jutsu and weapons.

"Naruto-sensei."

Looking up from his ramen, Naruto saw Hanabi enter the clearing wearing a mask of determination. Naruto couldn't help but grin slightly, pleased to see her. Hanabi stopped just on the inside edge of the training area, and knelt formally.

"Er, Hanabi, why exactly are you kneeling?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow as he stared at her.

"I'm waiting for you to complete your lunch so that we might resume training," Hanabi answered formally, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Until then, I shall mediate."

"Ooook," Naruto said slowly. He turned back to his ramen, before pausing and glancing at her curiously. "Hanabi, did you eat?"

"I had Jasmine tea," Hanabi said serenely. "I am not hungry, Naruto-sensei. I have long since learned to control my hung-" she was interrupted by her stomach, which grumbled loudly in obvious disagreement, prompting her to blush.

"Oi, I think you're either hungry or you ate a lion," Naruto remarked while laughing. Getting control of himself, he grinned at her. "Go get something to eat. We can wait until after lunch for what I'm planning."

"I would rather wait," Hanabi said, her blush fading. "Only a soft person would take the first rumblings of hunger as a need to eat."

"You aren't dieting, are you?" Naruto asked blankly, slightly worried that he had another dieting freak on his hands.

"No, I am not dieting."

"Oh, good, never liked diets," Naruto muttered, turning back to his ramen and absently slurping the noodles down.

"Why not?" Hanabi asked, a note of curiosity in her tone.

"Simple," Naruto said, looking at her seriously, "anything that has the word 'die' in it can't be good for you."

"Naruto-sensei," Hanabi said after a moment, equally serious, "your logic astonishes me."

"Thanks!" Naruto exclaimed. He paused and continued in mock cluelessness. "Uhm, astonish is a good thing, right?"

Hanabi sighed.

Chuckling softly, Naruto finished his ramen in silence then burped as he set the empty container aside. Stretching, he glanced at the sky, guessing that they had at least another half-hour before lunch was over. Looking back at the girl, he titled his head slightly and scratched his chin, trying to think of what to say.

Jiraiya was no help there, the old man had been rather blasé about talking. When they did talk, it somehow almost always worked its way around to sex. Anko on the other hand, he could remember that day so long ago, when she assigned him the task of stealing Kakashi's Icha Icha for the first time.

"Oi, so what's your dream?" Naruto finally asked, propping his chin in his hand.

"Excuse me?" Hanabi managed, opening her eyes to stare up at him with incomprehension.

"Your dream, you know, your goal? Something you want more than anything," Naruto explained, grinning. "Like me. My dreams are to become Hokage and to create truly instant ramen, because waiting even a minute is too long."

"I have no dreams," Hanabi said after a moment. "Shinobi rule twenty-four says, 'Shinobi are only tools, used for the betterment of the village and for protection of the country. They have no emotions and no attachments to this life or world. They have no dreams nor goals.'"

"That's a load of shit," Naruto said angrily, unable to believe that she would say something so stupid. He paused, vaguely remembering hearing something like that at the academy and from Jiraiya.

"That is one of the hundreds of laws that govern the life of a shinobi," Hanabi said defensively. "It was written to help Shinobi place things into perspective."

"It's still shit," Naruto said firmly, daring her to challenge him. "Shinobi are human. People have to dream, or they might as well not exist. You have to have some goal."

"Regardless, I still have no dream or goal to spea-"

"Yes, you do," Naruto said with a frown, jabbing a finger at her. "The reason you came back here, the reason you asked to train with me again, the reason you sparred me yesterday."

"Obviously, you are skilled. I felt I could best learn with you."

"Oi, I think you only did those things to prove that you were a ninja and not a worthless, egotistical little bitch," Naruto shot back with a smug grin at the way her eyes narrowed at the implication. "That's your dream: You want to prove yourself as a kunoichi."

"If that is what you wish to believe," Hanabi said with a forced calm.

"It's the truth," Naruto said dismissively, enjoying her struggle to remain behind her façade of professionalism. "You can try to lie and hide behind that stupid rule, but I know better."

"Of course," Hanabi allowed, closing her eyes once more.

Naruto frowned and shook his head in annoyance before rising to his feet on his perch. If she wasn't hungry and didn't want to talk, it was time to train. That was just as well in Naruto's opinion, because he was itching to try and teach some jutsu.

"Right! Time to start training again!" Naruto said loudly, causing birds to break from cover and fill the sky. Hanabi jerked slightly at his noise, staring up at him uncertainly. Naruto merely grinned and rubbed his hands together. "We'll start with Bunshin no Jutsu!"

"Naruto-sensei, may I enquire as to why, exactly, you would teach me such a useless technique?"

"Eh?" Naruto managed, wondering what she meant by that.

"It is merely an insubstantial illusion. Even by the standards of the other Genin, its useless," Hanabi continued, having resettled into her kneeling position.

"Combat is based on deception," Naruto said simply, scowling down at her. "Plus, I'm bigger than you and will kick your ass if you don't get up and practice this!"

Hanabi quickly got to her feet and Naruto grinned, hopping down from the post and stretching. "Right, so, Bunshin no jutsu. It's, well, not easy, cause if you have too much chakra you can't control it well enough to perform the move. That was my problem: I needed a more advanced form, such as Kage Bunshin."

"I should have no such problem, Naruto-sensei," Hanabi replied honestly. "I have excellent control, but a very small chakra supply."

"That's ok," Naruto said, flashing her a pleasantly sadistic smile that would do Anko proud. "By the time I'm through torturing your ass, you'll either have tons of chakra or be dead."

Hanabi actually whimpered.

* * *

"It is my privilege to stand before you on this day to share the news that the war is nearly over." Pausing, Hittori stared at the expectant faces and at the cameras he knew were sending his speech throughout the expanded country of Kusa. For three years, they had waged this war, first, against Ame and, later, against the other smaller countries that had been drawn into the conflict.

Now, Kusa was master of all their land, leaving only three minor nations left to oppose them. "We faced seemingly unbeatable odds, but we crafted our victory with our undefeatable spirit and our righteous fury! We have been engaged in a conflict not of our choosing, but against nations that have sought to crush us!"

The crowd erupted into cheers and he allowed the sounds of celebration to fill the air. When they died away, he began to speak once more. "Soon we will press our attack on those that remain firm against us, Tsume no Kuni, Kiba no Kuni and Kuma no Kuni! We have conquered those that killed our beloved Daimyo, my father, and sought to either destroy our way of life or protect those that had done so. Their defeats serve as a warning to those three countries that still oppose us."

Again, the crowd cheered and Hittori reveled in the moment, pleased by their predictable reaction. Without their support for his actions, the war would have faltered. Knowing that the civilians supported you and your efforts made the samurai and the ninja that served him fight all that much harder.

"Soon, we will be utterly victorious! What is planned is nothing compared to what we have already accomplished or achieved," Hittori said with passion, hand slashing through the air. The crowd cheered even louder, working themselves up and feeding off his passion, as he did off theirs. "It will be achieved sooner and more definitely than everything already achieved! We shall be the creator of the coming peace. No longer will we be a minor nation! With the end of this war, we shall force the Great Five to realize that we too, are great! I will petition them to recognize our Sousui as a true Kage leader!"

The crowd went wild and, to seal their continued loyalty, he thrust his hands into the air and raised his voice. "Long live Kusa!"

They roared back even louder, hailing for his own long life. It was beautiful. There was no further need to incite them, no way to further build their blind loyalty or trust. With a wave and a charming smile, he turned and quietly retreated indoors.

He could hear the crowd still cheering enthusiastically outside and he grinned, before spotting Hokannin, the samurai in charge of this section of Kusa, the erstwhile Ame no Kuni capital.

"Hokannin-san, how nice to see you again," Hittori said genially, coming to a stop and returning the polite bow from the samurai and his assistant.

"Hittori-sama, I am honored as always," the man said and paused, his tone a tad anxious. "I must speak with you about an urgent matter that has developed."

Hittori nodded silently, wondering what it could be. Could the loyalty seals be weakening? No, Noga had been quite sure they would hold when he presented them. Noga was not foolish enough to falsify such a thing. Hittori would have him killed for being so stupid as to jeopardize Kusa no Kuni and hence, Hittori's own safety.

"There has been an increasing shortage of food," Hokannin explained warily, "to the north and to the west. The civilians in those areas are quite upset, and some have mumbled about protesting."

"This shortage," Hittori said slowly, eyes narrowing, "do we know the cause of it?"

"So sorry, but no lord," Hokannin said sourly. "It also appears that we have no way of solving the problem."

"I see," Hittori said, glancing out a window before turning back to Hokannin. "You are to commit seppuku within the hour."

"W-what?!" Hokannnin stammered in wide-eyed surprise.

"You," Hittori said, beckoning the stunned assistant forward. "As of now, you're the samurai in charge of this area. See that this fool kills himself, then solve the problem. If there are any protests, contact Kusagukare and have the leaders eliminated."

"H-hai," the startled, and newly promoted, samurai said, bowing as Hittori continued past him.

A few moments later, Hittori entered the war room, eyes sweeping the windowless and rather bare walls. To the far right was a large map of the world with the expanded territory of Kusa marked boldly, now stretching between Tsuchi no Kuni and Hi no Kuni. In the center, directly before a raised platform where he would sit, was a low planning table surrounded by his generals – Jomon, Heian, Mugi and Burando.

All conversation came to an abrupt halt as everyone bowed stiffly, which Hittori returned casually. Silently, he crossed the room and sat facing the table and his generals. He took another minute to study the battle plans laid out for the assault on Kuma no Kuni, and turned his attention to Jomon, signaling the start of the meeting.

"Sire, barring the forces needed to fully pacify our expanded territory and accounting with our earlier skirmishes with Kuma no Kuni forces, we've settled on this plan," the middle-aged samurai said, pointing curtly at a large grouping representing samurai. "The bulk of our forces will attack openly in a direct rush at the capital. Success will rely mostly on surprise, as Kuma no Kuni is on the verge of achieving Kage status. We expect them to finally stall our attack here at the Otyo river."

Noting the indicated river, only a few miles inside the border, Hittori frowned. If his forces were halted there, they would be boxed in by mountains and retreat would not be an option. "I assume you have a reason for hurling our samurai into such an obvious suicide attack?"

"Of course, sire," Heian said smoothly, taking over the briefing. "They are merely a diversion. While they attack, we'll be sending an elite regiment along the Okai road through the mountains to pin the enemy between the two forces. While that is happening, we'll have another brigade come up through the Gou pass to the surround and place the Kuma no Kuni capital to siege."

"I see," Hittori murmured silently. So, while the main forces of Kuma engaged his, only to be trapped, the other Kusa Samurai would launch an immediate attack on the capital without fear of being attacked from behind. "What of the Hoshi ninja?"

"Using our more powerful ninja, we will launch a surprise attack at the same time the capital is attacked," Mugi explained, lips pressed into a tight line. "Of course, even with our forces it would be impossible to actually take the village since we can't commit our full ability. However, the goal is to place the Loyalty Seals on the 'Hoshikage' and as many Jōnin as we can."

"Then our Kusa ninja will withdraw," Burando explained smugly. "The 'Hoshikage' will then gather the ninja and hurl them at the capital, beating our samurai back. Once inside, he'll affect the death of the Kuma Damiyo and by then, all Hoshi ninja should bear our Loyalty Seal."

"After that, it will be easy to effect control over the country completely," Jomon said, smirking. "Of course, this is the plan, but things may not work exactly as we wish."

"Understood," Hittori said with his own smirk, eying the battle plan before him. It seemed sound and well thought out. Was there anything he could contribute? "How will our main forces enter the country?"

"They'll rush northeast along the Oshu-aido," Heian explained patiently. "Needless to say, they'll attack smaller villages and outposts, building toward the Battle at Otyo River. That way, they will ensure that the bulk of Kuma no Kuni forces are caught in the jaws of the trap when it snaps shut."

"I see," Hittori said, fist on his thigh as he thought intently about the assault. They had spent many months fighting pointless battles with Kuma no Kuni, all to gain the intelligence needed to develop this plan. Hittori had even called off the attacks, letting rumor leak that they were having trouble with previously conquered sections of the new Kusa.

Kuma no Kuni would not be expecting this plan. It was nearly perfect. "Launch the initial attack at night," he concluded. "I want them utterly surprised."

"Of course, sire," Mugi said. "If that is the case, we should add a few Jōnin to the Samurai. Hoshi patrols along the passes would be strongest then."

"Fine," Hittori said, nodding. "Issue the orders. I want this to begin immediately."

"Hai!" The generals agreed at once, then, bowing, they rose, leaving him alone.

Hittori remained seated, studying the order of battle and wondering if it would succeed. If so, then Kiba and Tsume no Kuni would quickly fall. They had large forces of samurai but no ninja. Hoshi was the last of the minor Shinobi countries. Once it toppled, Kusa would control all Shinobi outside the Five Great Shinobi nations.

"Even so," Hittori muttered, mentally preparing the final offer to Iwa, moving forward another step in his plans, "the Great Five won't always exist."

* * *

Every muscle and joint burned with near blinding pain. Her neck was stiff, sore and unable to support the weight of her head. She was covered in bruises, her lip split and sheer exhaustion beyond anything she had ever experienced consumed her. It should have been a relief to head home after almost a full day of such unending torture…

...but this was not taking into account that it was eleven at night.

The only other people out this late were ninja on patrol, teenagers, or the occasional mugger. Hanabi, however, didn't care. That was something to think about tomorrow after she had slept for the next twelve hours. She slipped quietly into the small inn without a word, briefly considered taking a bath, but instead settled on bed first.

Her legs screamed in pain as she shuffled down the dimly lit hallway and her hand trailed listlessly against the wall. Hanabi paused as she approached her room, hand pressing against the wall, her shoulder and back aching worse than ever, her vision swimming. Shaking her head to clear her vision, Hanabi wondered if it had really been only this morning when she had discovered that Naruto was her new sensei.

It seemed impossible to her, all things considered. He was a harsher taskmaster than her father had been. But Hanabi had to concede that he was a good teacher. Sadly, it was also true that he was an insane, sadistic, egomaniacal fool.

She had said it earlier only to complain, but it was now apparent to Hanabi that Naruto truly was all of those things. Having regained a little strength, she shuffled onward and slid the door to her room open, entering the darkened room without a word. All she wanted was to lie down in her semi-comfortable sleeping mat for a few precious hours of sleep.

Hanabi struggled silently with her sandals, nearly tumbling to the ground as she lost her balance several times. Finally, shaking them off, she fumbled with the zipper on her shirt. Her fingers refused to cooperate and Hanabi gave up on the zipper, instead resigning herself to sleeping in her clothes.

Crossing the dark room, heedless for the first time to the pain of being disowned, Hanabi struggled to kneel without falling. Swaying from the shift in height, she remained motionless before collapsing to the ground with a dull smack. The pain from the fall was just one more hurt to add to her countless others and didn't faze her at all.

Instead, Hanabi crawled the rest of the way to her sleeping mat. Dimly, the ten-year-old realized that she would have blood, sweat and dirt all over her bed, but all she wanted was the sweet embrace of sleep. She rolled onto her back, staring sightlessly at the dark ceiling. Sleep overcame her, bringing with it a soothing numbness to her body and she slept dreamlessly.

Too soon after her head hit the pillow, Hanabi's sense of self-preservation twitched on the edges of her mind, drawing her back to the real world. She grimaced in her sleep, twitching her fingers at the danger. The feeling grew and grew, until it dredged Hanabi completely from her blissful state of sleep...

...only for her to scream as her body hit the icy cold water of a lake.

Flailing around, Hanabi spluttered, nearly drowning, before seeing bubbles and following them desperately. Breaking the surface, she sputtered, hacked and coughed, teeth chattering. It was easy to spot her attacker, her orange and black clad sensei Uzumaki Naruto. The boy was crouching casually on the water's surface, staring at her with such utter nonchalance that Hanabi couldn't help but feel offended.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" she screeched, struggling her way up to stand on the surface of the water like they had taught them in the academy – even _she_ had been made to learn both tree walking and water walking – and glared at Naruto.

Naruto grinned and placed his hand partially in the water, forming some sort of sphere, which he used it to shoot a blast of water into her face that sent her crashing back into the water with a splash. Spluttering her way to the surface once more, she found Naruto grinning ever wider.

"Oi, good morning, Hanabi! I figured today we could spar while water walking."

"But its not even morning!" Hanabi protested, despite her training.

"Of course it is," Naruto chirped, eyes closing in that sadistically happy fox-like manner of his. "Four in the morning, the perfect time to start the day!"

"Are you insane?!"

"That, Hanabi," Naruto said with a mock seriousness that frightened her, "is a matter of opinion. What you should be wondering instead is if I'm going to let you eat breakfast."

"What?! You want me to fight you _and_ go without any food for the entire morning?"

"Pretty much," Naruto said, his grin growing as his tone became disturbingly pleasant. "Oh, and if you keep complaining, I'll cut your tongue out and serve it for lunch!"

Hanabi kept her mouth shut, because she couldn't tell if he was being serious or just messing with her head.

* * *

It was, in Jiriaya's esteemed opinion, a great day. The new series of Icha Icha was more popular than ever. He could once more pursue his perversion in peace and there were a half-dozen nubile young women splashing obliviously at the hot springs.

Life was good.

Then life went from good to wonderful as a new girl entered the bath. She had waist-length, platinum blond hair, warm brown eyes, a heart-shaped face and a well-endowed body. The girl was a dead ringer for an eighteen-year-old Tsunade, and the pervert Sannin memorized every inch of her.

Of course, he was aware that most likely it was just his own lustful thoughts, or the regrets all men have toward the end of their life. For Jiraiya knew he was dying, but unlike his teammates, he was more than happy to accept it. He'd led a good and full life, had taught, and raised, a good man. Then he had helped another find his way through the rough start of adolescence. His karma was good and his only regret was a childhood crush that had never faded.

Now, though, he was rather interested in the provocative poses the Tsunade look-alike made as she washed up.

His mouth went dry as she caressed every inch of her flesh with a washcloth, and nearly had a coronary when the girl winked at him and the cloth dipped between her inner thighs for a moment. Jiraiya offered his most sincere and deepest thanks to whatever god, goddess or kami had issued this miracle for him. A moment later, things got even better when this nubile goddess moved to where he was hiding and sat down within arm's reach.

"Naughty man," the woman whispered, obviously making an effort to keep his presence a secret, "spying on poor, defenseless girls."

Jiraiya gulped, speaking as calmly as he could to keep from revealing his current location. "It's just research…"

"Mhmm," the goddess agreed, a finger trailing absently along her thigh. "Research for what?"

"I, I write novels, perhaps you've heard of them?" Jiraiya asked hopefully, using all of his willpower to keep from touching the girl. Her scent was intoxicating and her skin called for him to caress it.

"I don't read much," the woman said softly, the washcloth back to its task of caressing once more, this time tracing her pert breasts, "but I'm a huge fan of Icha Icha, especially Volume One… You know, the one about the famous medic Sunade and the white-haired ninja named Raiya making love."

Jiraiya paused and gulped, partly out of fear. He had forgotten about writing that volume, his personal wish fulfillment that had launched his career. It was also his death warrant if Tsunade ever actually found out about it, but for years it had been out of print and there had never been many copies in the first place.

"You read that one?" Jiraiya asked finally, after what seemed like a lifetime.

"Read it?" the Tsunade look-alike breathed huskily. "I fantasized about it. Especially page ten where they, you know."

"Page ten?" Jiraiya echoed, and then his memory shot to the moment in question. Sunade was on her back, one leg flat and the other straight up and resting on Raiya's shoulder, while he-

"Dear, sweet kami," Jiraiya muttered, eyes wide and staring at the woman before him.

"I've always wanted to try it," the woman continued, her tone suggestive.

"I would be happy to help!" Jiraiya offered immediately, lust overriding what little common sense he possessed.

"Oh, thank you," the goddess said sweetly before shifting gears slightly, "but I have to complete my own research, unless…Would you happen to know how to reach Tsuki no Kuni?"

"Tsuki no Kuni?" Jiraiya said in confusion, brain befuddled for a moment for understandable reasons. "I have a map. Well, my student does. I can get it for you."

"That's ok. How about you come out here and help me instead?" the Tsunade look-alike asked, turning completely to face him, inadvertently giving him an up-close, full-frontal flash.

Sadly, before he could enjoy her proposal, he promptly passed out from blood loss.

* * *

"Gah!" Hanabi exhaled sharply as Naruto's foot connected with her stomach, sending her crashing into the water with a splash. She sank for a moment, stunned and breathless, then gasped only to realize that she was underwater and breathing water instead of air. She struggled desperately to reach the surface but it seemed impossible, her mind was already drifting toward unconsciousness.

A moment later, she was yanked free of the lake, coughing and hacking up the water she had swallowed. Recovering slowly and feeling like a half-drowned cat, she noted belatedly that she was being carried to the shore. It seemed so impossible, one minute drowning the next not, and her mind blacked out.

Hanabi came to a second later to the smell of fresh Uirō and, groaning, sat up.

"Oi, you ok?" Naruto's voice asked, prompting her to turn to find the blond eating his ramen on the other side of a small fire. Seeing he had her attention, he grinned, pointing at a clone, who held up a box of Uirō. "I got ya some lunch. Wasn't sure what ya liked, so I went for the sweets. Used to love it when Ayame would take me out for it, though its got nothing on Ramen."

"I-I don't understand," Hanabi managed weakly, alternating stares between her demented sensei and the food, blinking. Looking up, she noted the sun was well past lunch, almost mid-afternoon. "How long was I unconscious?"

"Eh? Couple hours or so," Naruto said offhandedly, grinning. "You were breathing and you had a pulse, so I just figured I could let you recover."

"I nearly drowned," Hanabi said sourly, shifting into the more familiar and comfortable realm of complaining. She sat Seiza position and accepted the box of Uirō.

"Yeah, well, you ran right into that sidekick," Naruto explained with a small chuckle, slurping his ramen before gesturing at her with his hand. "On the bright side, though, we found out you need to learn how to swim."

"I can swim quite well, thank you," Hanabi retorted pointedly. "I was merely stunned and winded. I can assue you that it will not happen again."

"Whatever," Naruto said with a roll of his eyes. "So, I heard you knew Konohamaru?"

"Mmph?" Hanabi managed, startled, mouth full. Seeing Naruto's amusement, Hanabi quickly swallowed then glared at him. "Konohamaru-kun and myself, of course, attended the academy together."

"Oh, well, thought that much," Naruto said, a sly smirk on his face, "but I heard you knew him a bit better than just as a friend from the academy."

"I-I've seen him around," Hanabi stammered, a sudden heat in her cheeks. How could he know about her and Konohamaru?!

"Ah," Naruto said lightly, giving her a knowing look. He had the tact to let the matter drop and Hanabi took a breath, then turned back to her Uirō. "Oi, Hanabi, can I ask you something?"

Finishing the Uirō she had been eating, she looked up, surprised by the serious tone. "Naruto-sensei?"

"It's a bit personal," Naruto said. When she nodded, he smirked. "Not many girls would give up all that money and prestige for a guy, so I gotta ask: Was the little bastard's kissing that good?"

Hanabi froze, wide eyed, blushing furiously. Naruto was laughing and Hanabi felt like jumping back into the river to drown.

"Come on, you can tell me," Naruto goaded her, smiling in a way that was subtle encouragement to speak.

"H-he was very talented," Hanabi admitted, blushing brighter than ever.

"Huh, who woulda thought," Naruto said, laughing even more. "Gotta say, he's got some taste!"

"Sensei!" Hanabi squeaked despite herself, even more embarrassed at his comment.

"Oh, come on, you know you're a cutie," Naruto said almost in tears from laughter. "Hanabi-kawaii!"

"P-please," Hanabi managed, hiding her face in her hands. Why did he have to tease her? For that matter, why had she felt the urge to admit that to him? Ugh, it didn't make any sense, no sense at all.

"Fine, fine," Naruto relented, laughter still lingering in his tone. "Let's just eat."

Hanabi nodded, though it took her several minutes to feel up to the task and, even then, she didn't look at him. Hanabi was very conscious of the blush still on her cheeks, the unfamiliar embarrassment. She felt a bit of anger and it took her a moment before she realized the best way to get back at him.

"N-naruto-sensei, can I ask you something?" Hanabi asked, still not looking up at him.

"I guess, only fair, eh?"

"Yes," Hanabi agreed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I have heard much about you sensei, but never anything about a girl."

"So?"

"You're not," Hanabi asked, looking up and meeting his gaze, feigning discomfort, "you know..."

Naruto's face was blank with cluelessness. When he realized what she was implying, he choked on his ramen and beat on his chest. Once he cleared his airway, he stared at her with wide eyes, clearly amazed at her statement.

"You haven't answered, sensei."

"I will have you know," Naruto said firmly, pointing at her with his finger. "I just play hard to get, to make the kunoichi want to develop a jutsu just to strip me naked!"

"I…just went to a very bad place," Hanabi said after a moment of staring at him.

"You're ten. You can't be going there," Naruto said dismissively, gathering his ramen to gulp it down happily.

"Since I've met you, Naruto-sensei, I find myself visiting those places quite often," Hanabi admitted, knowing that she had been to that bad place on more than five separate occasions.

"Oi, you may visit that bad place, but Ero-Sennin built it and sold tickets for admission. Then wrote about it."

"I've been meaning to ask, who is Ero-Sennin?" Hanabi asked, staring at him. Curiosity welled up inside her, but she was thankful for the chance to change the subject.

"A strong ninja, wrote Icha Icha."

"Jiriaya-sama?"

"You know him?" Naruto asked, startled.

"Hinata-neesan and Konohamaru-kun enjoy his writing," Hanabi explained, finishing her last Uirō. "I have found his work both juvenile and uninteresting, though the last book showed great improvement."

"Thanks, I did a lot of research on it." Naruto beamed happily.

"..."

"What?" Naruto asked defensively and in slight confusion.

"You know, when they speak of Uzumaki-san, the great hero, I doubt they picture you so...insane." Hanabi said dryly.

"Funny how saving the village gives people memory loss, neh?" Naruto asked, smiling at her, before he lifted his chopsticks and deposited an ungodly amount of ramen in his mouth.


	9. Chapter 7: Tsunade's Mission

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 7:  
-_Tsunade's Mission_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

Hanabi eyed her opponent warily, unsure about what exactly this would accomplish. After three weeks, she had become rather good at reading her sensei's body language, but it was never helpful sparring. She doubted this match would be any different. Though this fight was unusual, because Naruto wanted her to attack with every jutsu she knew with the intent to kill him.

Hanabi would have laughed at such a concept three weeks ago, but she knew him well enough by now to know he was serious. She'd be lying if she didn't admit she had a strong urge to make him bleed. Still, just standing there, trying futilely to read his body language, wasn't helping her. Gathering her resolve, Hanabi hurled herself toward the motionless man, who stood with arms crossed waiting for her.

A second later, Hanabi darted to the side as kunai whistled through the airspace she had just occupied. Before she completely landed, she had to dodge repeatedly, kunai and shuriken coming increasingly closer to striking her. Skidding to a halt, Hanabi dropped to the ground and rolled backward, just barely managing to avoid taking a kunai to her skull.

Regaining her feet, breath coming rapidly, she felt the warm flow of blood on her cheek. Without touching it, she knew it was a vicious cut and, worse yet, Hanabi realized that he was really trying to kill her. The Genin blanched at the realization, reinforced by his killing intent that washed over her.

"I thought I said you were to come at me with everything," Naruto snapped angrily, a kunai twirling around a finger. "Why aren't you trying to kill me!?"

"N-Naruto-sensei, I'm not sure I can do that." Hanabi protested, uncertain about his attitude. This atmosphere was not the same as the weeks previous: Naruto was not smiling or radiating the familiar insanity. He was cold, deadly, lethal, and he wanted her to be the same. Hanabi couldn't. She wasn't sure she had that inside her.

"Fine," Naruto said, eyes narrowing as the kunai snapped into place. "I can do with some target practice."

"Naruto-sensei?"

A second later, faster than Hanabi could follow, the kunai sliced her other cheek before 'thunking' into a tree behind her.

"Better run, bitch," Naruto said, a cold smile on his face, his hand holding up a new kunai, "'cause I'm gonna pin you like a butterfly and gut you like a fish."

Hanabi's eyes widened, grasping the sincerity behind his statement. Turning, she took off into the forest. She moved swiftly through the foliage, struggling to feel or hear anything that would alert her to Naruto's approach. She knew this was foolhardy. Naruto could move with absolute silence and he did it without conscious thought.

A second later, a soft whistling noise alerted her to a kunai and she dropped to the ground as it whistled through where her head had been to strike a tree. A moment later, said tree toppled from an explosion and Hanabi bolted to her feet and took off deeper into the woods. Kami, either he had snapped or he had always been this cold blooded. Even so, she'd never expected him to try to kill her.

A moment later, she threw herself behind an overturned log as kunai and shuriken came whistling at her head on. The 'thunk' of weapons hitting the log masked her panting. She was running blind, and Hanabi had to start thinking. Naruto was vastly stronger than her, faster and obviously more vicious: Her only chance was a trap.

The silence set her on edge, but Hanabi took the time to attempt her trap.

A second later, ready as she could ever make it, Hanabi hopped up to run when Naruto appeared from nowhere instantly and struck, only to have his kunai pass through her Bunshin. His eyes widened and then, with a soft 'twang', wires were pulled and a dozen kunai passed through him.

Hanabi, who had started to run once her Bunshin and trap had sprung, froze, realizing that the trap hadn't worked. Her danger sense flared and she twisted aside as the real Naruto appeared from thin air and slashed at her face with a kunai. Hanabi retreated while instinctively grasping a kunai, readying for the next attack, which over powered her and sent her crashing to the ground, the kunai spinning free from her.

"Not bad," Naruto said, staring down at her with a cold humor, "but there was no real killer intent behind it."

"Naruto-sensei, I don't understand. Why do you want me to try to kill you?"

"Doesn't matter," Naruto said, pulling his arm back to hurl a kunai at her. "You're dead now anyway."

Hanabi kicked out desperately, catching him in the knee, forcing him to stumble back while dropping the weapon and Hanabi scrambled to her feet. Panting, she adopted a fighting stance, realizing that she had no option other than to stand and fight as best she could.

"Better," Naruto said, grinning before he threw a punch, the air around his hand distorting, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind. Hanabi's eyes widened. Desperation, survival instincts and knowledge that it was her life or his rushed through her. Dodging back to avoid the blow, Hanabi drew a kunai and threw it as hard as she could.

Naruto's head jerked back, eyes wide, the kunai protruding from between his eyes.

Hanabi felt horror, a sickness swell inside her, and then Naruto disappeared with a puff of smoke. There was a moment of utter silence as Hanabi stared in confusion before she heard clapping from over head. Looking up, she found Naruto sitting on an overhead branch, smiling down at her.

"N-Naruto-sensei?"

"That was great, Hanabi." Naruto beamed proudly. "I knew using a Kage Bunshin was a good idea to provoke you into fighting with all you had."

"Naruto-sensei?" Hanabi repeated, recovering from the adrenaline rush and feeling of queasiness, but still utterly confused.

"Oi, Hanabi, you ok?" Naruto asked, his tone slightly concerned. "You look a little, iunno, sick..."

"I...I thought I had," Hanabi stammered, then recovered and tried to hide behind forced professionalism "I'm fine, Naruto-sensei. It is jus that this is the first time I encountered Shinobi saying number twenty-nine."

"Er, which one was that again?"

"'A Shinobi must be strong enough to destroy their own hearts when it is required and kill the enemy without hesitation.'" Hanabi said, wondering at the look on his face.

"That saying is good and bad," Naruto said, then stared down at her for a moment in utter silence before speaking again, his voice holding a hint of tightness. "But trust me, Hanabi, when you make a real kill, it is nothing like this. Just remember when the time comes and you have to take a life, it is better them than you."

"Of course," Hanabi agreed, adding it to her private list of Naruto rules concerning combat, then wondered about the tone of his voice. So strange, Hanabi could not imagine why someone so loud and insane would sound so reluctant. In seconds, any hint of what Naruto was really feeling disappeared as he grinned once more at her.

"So, now we can really spar with everything you have," Naruto continued merrily, with just a touch of malice. "Remember, you have to try and kill me. If not, I won't use a Kage Bunshin and have it hold back."

Hanabi felt her blood freeze as she realized that the clone had just been playing around with her. For a moment after she had realized he wasn't dead, Hanabi had taken pride in holding up against Naruto's Kage Bunshin. Now it was obvious that she hadn't come quite as far as she had hoped.

* * *

Naruto still wasn't quite used to his home, but the two-story house located halfway up the side of a mountain was worth forgoing his temporary discomfort: a large living room with a modest kitchen located on the West end; two large bedrooms; a bathroom, that had to be expanded with seals, with two separate showers, a large bathtub and two sinks; and, to top it all off, a storage room.

Plus, he had finally gotten around to exploring the second floor, which turned out to be a huge, round training room. He'd tossed enough Kage Bunshin in there that it was now cleaner than ever. He hadn't trained there yet, but he was itching to try it out.

Currently, he was busy fussing with the storage room, which continued to resist his efforts to open it. Naruto had tried everything short of a jutsu to tear the thing off its hinges. Huffing in annoyance, he kicked the door viciously, only to have it remain unaffected. He swore loudly.

Maybe if he just used a low power Rasengan-

The sound of knocking on his front door disturbed Naruto destructive thoughts. Blinking, he turned slowly, surprised to have someone knocking on his door. The only people that knew where he lived were Kakashi, Anko and Jiraiya. He'd been meaning to bring Ino by, but he just kept forgetting.

Shrugging it off, he walked across the living and to the doorway leading to his entrance hall. Sliding it open grouchily, he paused, staring a mildly put out Tsunade. Or, more correctly, he was staring at the cleavage she had on display. Ancient or not, he thanked the Kami she felt no need to cover them up.

"Naruto," Tsunade said, thumping his forehead, breaking him out of his trance and causing him to blush. Stepping up and pushing past him, she entered his house, saying, "So this is your place, huh?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, closing the door and following the Sannin. "Oi, so how'd you find out where I lived?"

"I asked Kakashi," Tsunade said, sitting on a chair in the living room. "Let me get straight to the point. You have a map. I need it."

"What map?" Naruto asked, confused as he sat on the battered coffee table across from her.

"The one with how to get to Tsuki no Kuni."

"Oh!" Naruto said, eyes widening as he realized which map that was. The one that, according to Jiraiya, was the first _complete_ world map. It listed not only the known Shinobi countries, but also three unknown lands. Tsuki no Kuni, Okayama Island and Yuki no Kuni, each isolated from the other and virtually unknown to the Shinobi world.

"So you have it?" Tsunade asked, brown eyes narrowing.

"Yeh, I got it," Naruto said, suspicion creeping into his mind as he created a Kage Bunshin who hurried off to the bedroom before coming back and handing Naruto the aforementioned item. "Oi, so why do you need to see where Tsuki no Kuni is?"

"I'm planning on taking a trip there," Tsunade explained, holding a hand out expectantly.

Naruto hesitated, thinking about the chance this gave him. If Hanabi could successfully finish the test he had came up with for her, then that would prove to Kakashi she was ready for at least C-rank missions. With what Tsunade had told him, she was presenting the perfect chance to get one immediately. Or maybe even a B-rank, disguised as C-rank.

"Naruto?"

"Oi, just a minute, baba," Naruto said, then, seeing the way her eye ticked, grinned. "You're going to need an escort, aren't you? 'Cause you're so important in the village, right?"

"Yes," Tsunade scowled. "It'll probably be B-rank and, with your apprentice, I doubt you'll get to go on the mission."

"Oi, how'd you know about Hanabi?" Naruto asked, startled. He'd kept busy so he hadn't thought it would get out.

"Ino's been fusing at me to teach her more medical jutsu, despite the fact that she's not inclined toward it." Tsunade chuckled sourly. "Apparently, with you busy teaching, she's been kicking up her own training."

"Ah!" Naruto said, making a mental note to drop in the girl just to freak her out. Naruto almost started laughing, wondering how long it would take Ino to figure out the silencing seals he was using. Considering the fact that the Yondaime had used the same thing and nobody had ever figured that out, he didn't look for it to be happening anytime soon.

"So, can I have the map?" Tsunade asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Two conditions," Naruto said gleefully, focusing on the task at hand. "First, when you tell Kakashi about the mission, insist it's only C-rank. That way me and Hanabi can go. Afterward, we can let him know it was actually B-rank and he'll have no choice but to start giving us B-rank missions."

"And second?"

"Tell me why you need to go to Tsuki no Kuni," Naruto said, his curiosity piqued. As far as he knew, nobody had ever been to Tsuki no Kuni, not even him. All they had done was make a copy from a map they saw on Okayama Island.

"It's personal," Tsunade shot back.

"It's my map, and my team's going to be going on the mission." Naruto countered, crossing his arms, the map held firmly in hand.

The two stared at each other without blinking, a battle of wills between two equally stubborn people. Naruto wasn't even sure if he could win, because she might get tired and just beat him senseless. Then Tsunade sighed, leaning back in her seat, folding her arms.

"Several years ago, there were three friends: a Snake, a Slug and a Toad. At first, none of them could stand the other: the snake was cruel, the slug selfish and the toad perverted. Eventually, that changed, mostly because of the Ape that watched over them. This wasn't to say that they always got along, but they were friends. Then one day, something very bad happened to the Slug, and she lost her brother. And while the Snake taunted her because that was his way, the Toad made a promise to always be gallant for her when it mattered."

Naruto blinked and scratched his head. Why was she telling him this story? Tsunade seemed oblivious to his cluelessness and continued with her tale.

"The Slug, in her grief and bitterness, made fun of the Toad for saying such a silly thing. The Slug knew it hurt him worse than a punch, because he had a crush on her that she would never return. The Toad, however, kept that promise his entire life, even when the Slug met a handsome boy slug. The Slug loved the boy slug and gave him a present and they made plans to marry, but the boy slug died and the Slug was unable to save him."

Naruto frowned despite his efforts to pay attention, wondering why she was telling him stuff he already knew from Ero-sennin. Plus, why in this kind of story and how did it tie into Tsuki no Kuni?

"The Slug was shattered and when they buried the boy slug, the Toad was gallant for her. He defended the boy slug from the Snake's words, though the Toad had hated the boy slug. Years and years later, after they had all went away; the Toad was gallant for the Slug again when she came to help the old Ape. Later, the Toad left the Slug, to train a young Fox. When he returned, the Toad was dying. The Slug was upset, and she decided to cure him despite his wishes by going to a place called Tsuki no Kuni."

"Ok," Naruto said, blinking, still hung up on the story itself and not the message, "and this has wha-"

_Holy crap!_

"Ero-sennin's dying!?"

* * *

Hanabi had learned early on in her training with Naruto that he was not mentally stable; in fact, the ninja was the single most unbalanced person she had ever met. His attitude changed at random, he could be both pleasant and extremely scary at the same time, he could smile and radiate a killer intent that could make her bladder fail. He said things that seemed stupid, or confused her, or left her wondering about his sanity.

Hanabi had also learned that while he did not support a great many of the Shinobi Rules, he adhered flawlessly to Shinobi rule Forty-five 'A true Shinobi understands that sometimes acting stupid or naive is the best course of action'. Hanabi knew he did it so people would misjudge him, maybe miscalculate his true ability. A cunning move, something that she would have, at one point, claimed worthy of a Hyūga.

Yet she could not overlook the teensy, tiny fact, that Uzumaki Naruto was utterly insane. Cunning and powerful, but utterly insane.

Take for example the 'mission' he had assigned her. She was to either pull a prank on her father or steal back her possessions from inside the Hyūga Compound. What sane person would willingly send his student to the slaughter like that? The Hyūga guards would kill Hanabi without a second thought. When she had protested this insanity, he had grinned in that disturbing way of his and said 'You either do it or I string you up by your toes and start kunai practice'.

Hanabi had wisely chosen to attempt the 'mission', thinking that though the failure rate for her mission was high, being Naruto's kunai target had a hundred percent chance of immediate death. Since she saw no way of pulling a prank on her father, getting her personal effects had been her only option.

After all, Hanabi was not a prankster.

Hence, why she was crouching against the back wall on the outside of the Hyūga Estate. Hanabi was thankful that the Branch Hyūga patrol did not actively use the Byakugan while patrolling. Her hearing, sharpened to near inhuman levels due to expert chakra control, told her that the patrol was moving away. The young girl breathed easier at that, knowing as a former Main Hyūga that the next two patrols would be ten minutes later.

"Naruto Rule number five 'Every security system is flawed'," Hanabi muttered wryly as she turned and applying chakra to her feet and then raced up the outer wall, before dropping to the other side. Landing adroitly, she took a moment to look around at the garden, savoring its tranquil beauty and then darted forward, not a single blade of grass disturbed by her passage.

Hanabi skirted the main buildings of the sprawling estate, using her expert knowledge of the layout to avoid capture. Her clothes and other items were most likely placed in storage, so that was where she was heading.

Coming to a stop, Hanabi crouched behind a small garden wall as a pair of Branch members passed, talking softly. Heart hammering, she slipped a mirror from her pouch and checked silently. Seeing the coast clear, she stood and started once more. Still, without her bloodline, slipping past the guards and remaining uncaught would be nigh impossible.

Hanabi hurried her pace, crossing a bridge and coming into sight of the storage buildings. Ducking into an alcove between two buildings, Hanabi watched another group of Branch Hyūga pass. Her heart was now in her throat as he realized the very real danger she was in – the patrols had changed. She was behind enemy lines with faulty information.

Tensing, she waited until she was sure they were gone and that nobody else was going to follow, and then left her hiding place and hurried to the storage sheds. Her heart plummeted when she discovered them locked, but Hanabi would not be denied. Silently thanking Naruto for his diverse and practical knowledge, Hanabi quickly set about picking the locks.

The first shed was useless items, the next were items belonging to her mother. It wasn't until she entered the last one that she found what she was looking for. Most of her stuff had just been set inside, the boxes labeled clearly in the typical Hyūga fashion to adhere to order and structure. Entering noiselessly, Hanabi eased the door shut behind her and produced the large furoshiki Naruto had loaned her.

Opening the boxes, the girl sorted quickly through the items and began began packing the items she felt some attachment to or that would serve a useful purpose: her formal Tsume Tsuzure, with the Hyūga Kamon, which was a gift from her sister; the Ushikubi Tsumugi shawl, a gift from her grandmother; her favorite Noren with white bamboo shoots on a medium blue background; the Arita Tall Kinsai her grandfather had given her; the Dragonfly tea mug Konohamaru had given her on her last birthday; a framed calligraphy print of Enso; and finally a Nazo Hako she had gotten from Hizashi.

Done, she quickly drew the corners of her furoshiki up, and then tied them tight. Then she reordered the boxes and, grabbing the pack, poked her head out the door. Looking around, she saw nobody as she slipped out the door, making sure to relock all the sheds before setting out quickly to leave the way she came.

Thankfully, her return trip was uneventful and when she cleared the wall, Hanabi kept moving. The girl couldn't help but feel heady with her success; after all, she had just snuck into her old home and stolen back her personal items from a place that many would claim was impossible. Best of all, she had done so without ever being spotted.

Flushed with her first taste of some success, almost excited to tell Naruto and Konohamaru about this, Hanabi hurried along to her favorite Uirō stand. As a ten-year-old, it was understandable that she never noticed that a pair of white-eyes had seen everything.

* * *

There were honestly very few benefits of being Hokage, at least in Kakashi's opinion, but seeing Hyūga Hiashi upset was one of them. The reason for the man's current anger was standing on the far side of the Hokage's desk, an ANBU next to her. Apparently, Hanabi had managed to sneak into the Hyūga compound and then, after being discovered on her way back out, had given her pursuers the slip.

Twenty minutes after this, Hyūga Hiashi and his Branch Member had barged into Kakashi's office and demanded Hanabi along with her stolen items be turned over. Kakashi had no option but agree, sending out an ANBU to find the girl. Imagine his surprise when Hanabi had turned up, having apparently hidden the items and refusing to say a word, other than that she was following orders.

So Kakashi, gleefully, sent an ANBU out to locate and bring in the only person that could _legally_ give her orders outside of the Hokage.

That had been an hour ago, which meant Hiashi had went from merely upset to a barely restrained rage at being made to wait. Kakashi passed the time by reading his Icha Icha and watching the undercurrent of emotions in the room. Hanabi passed the time by standing stock still next to her ANBU and staring at the paperwork on his desk.

"You wanted to see me?" Naruto said a moment later, breaking the tense silence that had settled over the office. Entering, he looked around, his jacket unzipped and with a casual air that made Hiashi's jaw muscles clench tighter than ever.

"Ah, Naruto-" Kakashi started to say, setting his book aside for the moment for the coming show, when he was rudely interrupted.

"Where have you been?" The Branch member snapped, fixing Naruto with a glare to end all glares. "The Hokage and Hyūga-sama both needed to speak with you about very important matters and you **dare** arrive late as if they mean nothing?"

"Oh, there were some flowers, so I stopped to smell them." Naruto said before smiling brighter than ever. "Oh, and if you talk to me like that again, I'll shove a kunai down your throat."

"Naruto," Kakashi said in friendly warning and the man grinned, focusing his attention on him once more. Seeing things settle down, Kakashi sighed, leaning back in his chair while lacing his fingers together across his desk. "So, let's get to the reason you're here."

"Aright," Naruto agreed, looking at Hanabi curiously.

"Hokage-san," Hiashi said firmly, doing an impressive job of hiding his anger. "Would you allow me to explain, as this involves items belonging to my Clan?"

"Sure." Kakashi agreed, eye curving up in gracious tolerance.

"Uzumaki-san, earlier this afternoon it was discovered that your student snuck into the Hyūga Estate and stole several items from us. A dutiful Branch member on patrol noticed her theft and sought to retrieve the items. However, she escaped him and when we brought the matter to the Hokage and he had the ANBU bring her in, she claimed to be following orders."

"Huh? Oh, well, of course she was," Naruto said breezily, hooking a thumb toward Kakashi. "Stupid masked perv there wouldn't let me have a C-rank mission 'til after I had Hanabi prove her skills. Told me that I had to figure out how to show her stuff. So I figured sneaking into an estate like the Hyūga had to at least imitate a C-rank infiltration and retrieve mission."

"Actually, it would be closer to B-rank," the ANBU present said casually. "Still, not a bad little exercise, eh Hokage-sama?"

"Not at all," Kakashi agreed, slightly impressed with Naruto's unexpected demonstration. Shifting his gaze to the Hyūga Patriarch, noting the way his face was blotching as his anger swelled. "So, what now? It was a training exercise, so I can't exactly punish her."

"V-very well," Hiashi said tightly. "The items are still ours, of course, so we would like them returned to us. Immediately."

"Of course," Kakashi agreed and all turned to Hanabi, who, sensing their attention looked up and then looked at Naruto. "Well, Hanabi-chan?"

"I," Hanabi paused, her gaze never wavering from Naruto's, "I cannot return the items. When I felt ANBU-san approaching, I thought it was the Branch member and I threw the items into a nearby river."

"You did what?" the Branch member asked, aghast.

"I knew that if it was a Branch Member, then I would have to seriously defend myself, because for me to enter the Hyūga Estate is punishable by death. I did not know that it was ANBU-san. If I had known, I would not have discarded them in such a manner."

"This is an outrage!" Hiashi shouted, looking from Hanabi then to Naruto and then finally at Kakashi. "I demand that she be punished for this, this travesty!"

"Oi, Hanabi, where'd you find the stuff?" Naruto asked, oblivious to Hiashi's outburst.

"In a storage shed, Naruto-sensei."

"So that means it was just junk, right?" Naruto asked, glancing at Hiashi.

"That is faulty reasoning! Even if those things were 'just junk', they were still the personal property of the Hyūga Clan," Hiashi said coldly, rounding on Naruto. "I demand that she be punished for being so clumsy and thoughtless."

"I demand you shut the hell up." Naruto snapped back, before turning to the Hokage. "Look, I told her to take the items, right? She did this like it was a mission, like I told her to. So I'll pay for the items or whatever, but Tsuru there isn't responsible."

Kakashi hesitated, reading the emotions in the room. They were running high, that was for sure. Hanabi was staring at Naruto in awe, the ANBU was busy watching the Branch Member, Hiashi was glaring at him, and the Branch member was glaring between Naruto and Hanabi.

Turning to Hiashi, impressed with Naruto's willingness to take the blame, he decided to try to play diplomat. "Hiashi-sama, this was an unfortunate training accident. I am sure that neither Naruto nor Hanabi would have knowingly acted like this if they had thought things would turn out this way. Surely you can understand that Naruto wanted to test his student in the only way he saw available to him, and you must admit that sneaking into the Hyūga Estate was a very clever and challenging test."

"..."

"You must also understand that Naruto has made an offer to pay for the lost items and I am sure he **will** offer an apology for the accidental loss caused by his student," Kakashi continued, knowing that Naruto would indeed offer an apology for the situation he had created, especially if he ever wanted to do another high rank mission. "I am also sure that a man of _your _stature and reputation can find it within his abilities to forgive this situation, as it is an understandable mistake and Naruto is doing the only honorable thing and taking responsibility for his actions."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed, then he let out a breath, nodding curtly. "Very well. If he agrees to pay and apologize, I can accept this as an accident. Only because it is Uzumaki-san, and in recognition of the debt we all owe him for saving our village three years ago."

Breathing easier, Kakashi turned his attention to Naruto "Well?"

"Eh, well first..." Naruto said turning to face Hiashi, fishing in his inner jacket pockets. "How much is all that stuff gonna cost?"

"At least," Hiashi said, and then paused, calculating before continuing, "three thousand ryou."

Kakashi almost fell out of his chair.

"You accept checks?" Naruto asked, blinking.

"I would prefer cash," Hiashi said simply, "when anyone can sign their name to a piece of paper."

"Aww man," Naruto complained pulling out his frog purse, which was so large the seams were visible. Unsnapping it, Naruto began counting out his ryou by the hundreds.

Kakashi really did fall out of his chair at that.

Finally handing the man all the cash, Naruto sighed, addressing his nearly deflated wallet before putting it back in his jacket. "Sorry Gama-chan."

"Thank you," Hiashi said politely, handing the money over to the Branch Member.

"You're welcome," Naruto said morosely before squaring his shoulders "Oi, so I'm sorry about Hanabi there losing your stuff. All my fault. So, we're cool now, right?"

"Yes, Uzumaki-san," Hiashi said slowly and carefully "Because it is you and you are honorably taking responsibility, it is forgiven." Turning, the man offered a polite thank you to the Hokage. With another nod at Naruto, he turned and led the Branch member out of the office.

Kakashi, who had by now regained his seat, shook his head, palming his forehead. Looking up at Naruto who was smiling again, he groaned, "As much as I should blame you, this is actually my fault. I knew as soon as I told you to spend a month just relaxing that something like this would happen."

"Eheh, so this proves she's ready for C-rank, right?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Sadly and thankfully, yes," Kakashi admitted tossing him a mission scroll, that he had only just created. "Tsunade-sama requested you by name. I was worried about how to tell her you would be unavailable for the mission."

"Scared?" Naruto asked brightly.

"Well, she can punch a hole through the village wall," Kakashi deadpanned, "and she has a short temper. I think a little fear, like with Anko, is warranted."

"Good point," Naruto said, shivering slightly before brightening. "So, what's baba want us to do?"

"Tsunade-sama is planning on a trip to collect some rare medical herbs, so there might be some danger from natural geography, but I doubt you'll have any combat."

"I guess beggar's can't be choosers," Naruto said, holding the scroll aloft. "We'll be back in a few weeks I guess. Come on, Tsuru. We got a mission."

"Yes sensei," Hanabi said, offering the Hokage a polite bow before she hurried after her teacher.

Sitting back, Kakashi turned his attention to the obviously amused ANBU. "Did she really throw the items into the river?"

"Nah, she hid them under some bushes."

"Didn't think so," Kakashi said, laughing. "Slick of Naruto to tell Hanabi what to say without moving his lips, eh?"

"Very," the ANBU agreed, laughing as well. "I thought Fish Lip's head was going to explode when he heard she threw them in the river."

They both enjoyed the humor at the man's expense for a very long time.

* * *

Yamanaka Ino sighed, drumming her fingers against the glass counter, waiting patiently for the man to return with Tsukiha. The kodachi had seen a lot of usage over the years and, despite Ino's great efforts, the blade was getting worn. Still, it was by far the best sword in the village, even if Ino had started to worry about it.

So, dutifully, she took it to Konoha's top expert in blades Ruru so he could give her his expert opinion. Of course, there was the tiny fact that he was Tenten's father, and he had a habit of looking at her in a way that made Ino want to retch. It wasn't a perverted gaze, but rather from the utter disdain that he had for her.

It wasn't just her either.

The man seemed to look down on all Shinobi. According to Tenten, Ruru had been a master sword smith for the Daimyo before a rival, using a Shinobi, stole his technique. After that, the only work he could gain was for the very Shinobi he loathed. Still, he was an expert where blades were concerned and he did excellent work.

Looking up at the sound of a footstep, she found the wry man stepping out of the back of the shop, the curving black saya with the distinct Konoha symbol in hand. Stopping at the counter, he set the weapon gently on the wooden portion of the counter before speaking. "Kawakami Musashi truly does excellent work. Even after the poor treatment this blade has received, it's a beauty."

"So it's ok?" Ino asked, disregarding his comment.

"Ok, is not a word to use," Ruru said disgruntled, before pulling the blade from the saya with an experienced flourish. "The Hada is showing signs of damage and so is the Ha and Kissaki. This blade is structurally on its last legs, girl. If I were you I'd consider putting it on display and getting another one."

"I-I thought it might still be..." Ino muttered, taking the blade from the man, sighting down the length before taking a polite practice swing. The weight was off, which was what had made her worry, the reverse handle still fit her hand perfectly, but the cord was growing frayed. Maybe the man was right, though she couldn't bear to think of using just any old sword.

"It might still have one good fight left in it," Ruru said, a tad kinder than normal. "Generally, a weapon of this quality always has one good fight left in it toward the end of its life."

"I tried to take care of it," Ino offered softly, sheathing the kodachi, a sadness filling her. Tsukiha had been with her through so much, had saved her life so many times. It was like knowing that a family member was dying. "I'm not even sure where to get another one."

"I can't really recommend anyone," Ruru said, utter loathing in his tone. "Most of the swords now are either mass-produced or of extremely poor quality. Nobody takes pride in the art of sword making anymore."

"Heh, nobody takes pride in the art of using them either," Ino muttered, starring at her faithful kodachi, knowing that it could only save her life once more before it died. Heaving a sigh, she looked up at the man, surprised to find him looking more sympathetic than she had ever seen him. "How much, Ruru-san?"

"I can't charge you," the man said after a moment, shaking his head "Normally I would, but this is not something a swords smith should make money off of. So sad when a great sword comes to the end. Tsukiha was a proud sword."

"Thanks," Ino said morosely, picking her weapon up and placing it into the unnoticeable pouch on the back of her outfit, designed to carry the saya securely. Offering a polite bow, she turned, heading out into the village once more, mind churning through her feelings of loss while she simultaneously tried to think of where to find a suitable replacement. Maybe Takumi no Kuni. Until then, she would have to make do with an ANBU ninja-to. It was her only option.

Unless someone got her one for her birthday, but that was not going to happen. Ino even laughed at the thought. Ninja didn't celebrate birthdays after they became Genin. Or, more correctly, they didn't celebrate every single birthday. When you turned fifteen, there was the Kakan and you celebrated becoming an adult. Which meant the next time Ino or anyone her age would celebrate their birthday would be when they turned twenty, and after that it would be every ten years.

So yes, Ino laughed at the thought of someone magically turning up and giving her a sword for her coming birthday.

She was distracted from her small amusement by a flash of orange and yellow and paused, turning to find Naruto walking down the street with a dour Hanabi at his side. Grinning, the Kenjutsu expert crossed the busy street and waved. "Naruto-kun! Hanabi-chan!"

"Ino-chan!" Naruto said loudly, waving, a bright grin stretching across his face even as Hanabi cringed.

"What are you two doing in the village?" Ino asked, stepping up to join them. "Normally you guys keep busy out near Suishou Lake, don't you?"

"Yup!" Naruto confirmed before reaching over to put a hand on Hanabi's head and ruffle her hair, much to the younger girl's obvious annoyance. "But me and Tsuru have a mission finally, so we gotta get her all stocked up!"

"I have told you, Naruto-sensei, that I am perfectly capable of-"

"Yadda, yadda, yadda," Naruto said, cutting the girl off before grinning at Ino. "Oi, so what are you here for Ino-chan? Shouldn't you be out tying up helpless Konoha ninja or something?"

"Naruto!" Ino said, a warning in her glare.

"Aww, don't be mad, Kuro-chan," Naruto teased, while pouting.

"I believe," Hanabi said tiredly, "Yamanaka-san's nickname is Hitokiri, Naruto-sensei."

Ino beamed in appreciation at the girl, before giving Naruto a challenging look. Naruto paused thoughtfully, staring at Hanabi, before bopping her on the head and grinnning at Ino.

"Oi, I was on the same team with Ino-chan when we we're Genin. I can call her anything I like." Here he paused, putting on a serious face that didn't quite fit. "Of course, she used to call me baka a lot, and I think once she called me a gaki."

"And you are still both," Ino huffed, rolling her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder how someone with your attitude could save the village, or hold off a Sannin alone when they were a Genin."

"Naruto-sensei?" Hanabi asked, sounding taken back.

"Well sometimes, Ino-chan," Naruto said, utterly serious, "I wonder how someone that looks like you could ever become so damn dangerous with a sword."

Ino blinked, surprised at the roundabout compliment. Recovering, she was thankful to realize she wasn't blushing, but it was a near thing. Instead, she flashed him a grin. "Thanks."

"Eheh," Naruto said, his cheeks actually turning slightly red, which surprised Ino. "Well, we gotta get goin', Tsunade-baba isn't a patient woman, ya know?"

"Obasan?" Ino asked, startled. "She's hired you for a mission?"

"Just as an honor escort while she collects some sort of medical herb," Naruto explained, patting Hanabi's head. "I figure the little princess here can do the dirty work while me and your aunt hit the casinos."

"Naruto-sensei, Shinobi Rule Number Eight says 'A mission, once accepted, cannot be discarded.'," Hanabi quoted "If you leave with Tsunade-sama to gamble, you will be derelict in your duty toward completing the mission."

"Aha," Naruto said, wagging a finger at his student. "I'm actually going along to guard her, which technically is the mission, and if I happen to win money then it's a happy side-effect."

Ino couldn't help but snicker at Hanabi's chagrined look. "He's got you there, Hanabi."

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was in unusually good spirits as he approached the massive Southern Gates of Konoha, where the imposing figure of Tsunade stood waiting. Beside him, radiating a nervousness that even he couldn't miss, was Hanabi. The girl had been flustered about actually leaving the safety of Konoha, even if she wasn't showing it.

Naruto mused that he hadn't been flustered on his first mission, but rather excited. Then again, he supposed that was due to the differences in how they grew up. Naruto had always wanted to go beyond the walls. Hanabi had probably gone beyond them countless times with her father when she had been Hyūga.

Now, though, it would be different.

Hanabi would be going out on a mission where she faced a possibility of combat and death. Frowning, he considered what to say, some wise words to offer her before they really set out. Reaching out, he put a hand on her shoulder, turning her toward him as she stopped.

"Naruto-sensei?"

"Oi, this is important," Naruto said, meeting her steady gaze. "You're walking the path of a ninja now, so, keep that in mind. As of now, no matter what, you **are** a ninja."

Not his best speech, but it was all he could really think off to say. Seeing her mild surprise, he offered a smile and patted her head fondly, which he knew she hated. He turned and continued walking. Hanabi soon followed and both came to a stop before an impatient Tsunade.

"Ready to go, runt?" the Sannin asked briskly, ignoring Hanabi utterly.

"You know it, baba!" Naruto shot back, pleased by the way her eye twitched at the nickname. Thrusting a fist into the air, he grinned, striking a - he thought- heroic pose "Let's go kick ass and take names!"

That said, he led the way out of the village, ignoring the guards who were rolling their eyes.

* * *

::Japanese Terminology::

**Tsume Tsuzure:** A formal bag with kamon designs.  
**Kamon:** Family Crest.  
**Kakan:** Coming of Age Ceremony; also called Gampaku.  
**Ushikubi Tsumugi Shawl:** A shawl made of 'Ushikubi' tsumugi silk, which is the one of the most famous and highest quality Japanese silk.  
**Noren:** Decorative silk-screened curtains used as door curtains, wall hangings and window curtains.  
**Arita Tall Kinsai:** A type of Sake Set.  
**Nazo Hako:** A Japanese Puzzle Box.  
**Furoshiki:** Square cloth used for carrying items.  
**Enso:** Zen Mystery  
**Baba:** Hag  
**Tsuru:** Crane  
**Kurohyou (shortened to Kuro-chan):** Panther.


	10. Chapter 8: Vault of Heaven

**Naruto: **Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 8:  
_-Vault of Heaven-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

Hanabi had never walked as much as she had in the last week, it had been a forced march through Hi no Kuni with Naruto providing running commentary the whole way. Hanabi's head actually hurt from trying to remember all of the details – how Hi no Kuni was divided into regions and who ran some of them, famous cities, which plants were safe, Hi no Kuni ninja, and how to judge time by using a stick and the sun.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Naruto had been hammering two new ninjutsu into her head. One was a C-rank technique, jointly created between Orochimaru and Jiraiya during the second Shinobi War called Konpasu no Jutsu. It allowed her to understand her relation to north, south, east, and west even when a compass proved unreliable.

That, Hanabi felt, she could manage even with her admittedly smaller than average chakra supply, but it seemed simple enough. The other ninjutsu he had tried to teach her, Hanabi felt would be beyond her reach for a while. Since Hanabi had proven quite capable with the Henge, Naruto had felt it time she learn one of his favorite techniques, the Meisai Gakure no Jutsu.

The former Hyūga definitely wanted to learn it; after all, the move granted near invisibility. That could prove handy should the Hyūga Clan decide to pursue a private meeting with her, something she dreaded and feared. The fact that the Byakugan, to the best of Naruto's knowledge, couldn't see through it made the Meisai Gakure Hanabi's most desired ninjutsu.

If those were the only hardships on the trip, Hanabi could have dealt with them. Naruto added to the frustration by insisting that she practice water walking every chance they got, which also annoyed Tsunade. The female Sannin didn't make much of an issue out of it, she tolerated Naruto and his constant training, but the looks Hanabi received at times made her flinch. Still, the legendary medic had offered a training trick of her own over lunch one day, handing her a small clear tube of water mixed with syrup.

Tsunade had explained that by using her chakra to separate the two different liquids, and keeping them separated, Hanabi would refine her already impressive chakra control. Hanabi tried, privately viewing it as just Tsunade's way of torturing her, until Naruto had urged her to take it seriously.

The end result was hours of travel, simultaneously water walking and trying to separate water and syrup.

Thankfully, she got a tiny break from the water walking portion of her exercise as Naruto and Tsunade attempted to rent a boat. The task of Bun Ekitai no Waza proved a miniscule easier when she didn't have to water walk at the same time, but the syrup was so thick that it really made little difference. Thankfully, because this involved control and not size, her chakra wasn't being taxed, though the control required was proving outrageous.

"Hanabi!"

Looking up, Hanabi found Naruto waiting for her near a small building and she dutifully hurried toward him. He turned away, leading the way down the street, which curved with the contour of the hillside, before coming to a stop at a jetty. Hanabi's gaze swept the various ships docked at the extending wharf, overlooking the knots of samurai sailors, absently noting minor details.

"If you get sea sick," Naruto said breezily, "you can try taking ginger, or keep your eyes on the horizon. Oh, and when you sleep, lay on your back."

Hanabi nodded absently, her eyes sweeping a neat and trim sixty-oared vessel, the oars stacked with care, ready for instant departure. Then she noticed what had to be Hi no Kuni ninja standing nearby, watching them far too intently for Hanabi's taste.

"Naruto-sensei, why are-"

"That ship belongs to the Fuwa bastard that's governor around here. I've already had a talk with them about getting in the way of Konoha ninja."

"Sensei?"

"A Genin team on their first C-rank mission," Naruto explained, shaking his head. "They're sensei was busy dealing with some samurai so those Hi no Kuni pricks were harassing 'em. I convinced them that for their continued health they need to leave Konoha ninja alone."

"But why would they harass Konoha ninja?" Hanabi asked, looking up at her sensei curiously. She noted the scowl on his face, the hard look in his eyes and wondered what was going through his mind.

"Because, around here, those Hi no Kuni ninja are running things. Fuwa refuses to use Konoha ninja, claims their not worth the risk. Baba told me that the guy is trying to force Konoha out of existence."

"I see," Hanabi said solemnly, shooting a look at the Hi no Kuni ninja, loathing them. Turning away haughtily, she continued walking at her sensei's side until they came to the ship they would be using, a two-mast schooner that looked just barely big enough for them. The captain talking with Tsunade was gray haired and grizzled.

"Oi, we ready to go?" Naruto called, leading the way up the plank.

"Yeah," Tsunade said, while the Captain beamed at Hanabi before pulling up the plank. "Daisuke-san here told me that he's actually been to Tsuki no Kuni."

"He has?" Naruto asked, looking at the old man and Hanabi frowned. She had never heard of Tsuki no Kuni and, as a former Hyūga, she had made a point of learning all of the countries. You never knew when you would need to deal with a daimyo or ninja from another country.

"Aye," the man said, moving easily as he started slipping the rope moorings. "About fifty years ago, on a little fishing boat. I fell asleep just off the coast of Sea Country. When I woke up I was in the middle of nowhere. Drifted for a few weeks and then came to this island surrounded by a bunch of smaller islands. Wasn't inhabited, far as I could tell."

"How do you know it was Tsuki no Kuni then?" Hanabi asked politely.

"Seaman's tale," the man said, turning to face the young girl. "Tsuki no Kuni, an island in the shape of the crescent moon, surrounded by fourteen smaller islands. Said to be the Vault of Heaven, where a bone white herb called Ippan-i grows. It can heal all ailments and diseases, but blooms only once every dozen decades."

The man paused for a moment, picking up a large pole to ease them away from the dock. Grunting, with the aid of Naruto, they gained the sea and the man moved to let down the sail. "When we're in open waters, I'll use the engine. Now, let's see… Oh, aye, the Ippan-i. It was created by Binzuru-Sonja out of his vast compassion. But, realizing the dangers of such a wondrous creation, he placed it out of reach to all save those who were truly desperate enough to deserve the cure. To ensure that it remained undisturbed, he put it on an island at the edge of the world to be guarded by a fearsome beast."

"But how does that confirm that you were at Tsuki no Kuni?" Hanabi inquired skeptically, doubting the man's story even if Naruto and Tsunade were willing to believe it.

"Because," the man said, now on the main deck and tilling the boat expertly, "the guardian 'greeted' me. Lives underground. Came bursting out at me, so massive it blocked out the sun. Its maw was big enough to swallow that Governor's boat back there. Had a pointed head. I'd say that it was easily one hundred feet tall and who knows how much it weighed."

"So it chased you off the island?"

"Aye," the man said, giving her a twisted grin, "right back into the water. I was lucky it couldn't or wouldn't swim, but it was a near enough thing. Its only cause the lady there is a Sannin and that fella is that Naruto character I heard about that I'm willing to go back."

Hanabi blinked, her lips pressing into a thin line. She had a hard time believing such a creature could exist, but Naruto seemed to accept the story at face value. Say what she wanted about the boy, Hanabi could not deny that he knew more about the world at large than she did, and if he believed it then she would as well.

Then she realized the danger she was now in, a creature like that, guarding such an herb, if it existed...How dare the Hokage classify this as C-rank! Then thinking about who was on the mission, Hanabi silently wondered if Tsunade or Naruto had lied to the Hokage and gotten the mission misclassified.

No, surely not.

That would be tantamount to reckless endangerment.

Her eyes widened, staring at her sensei.

* * *

The creak and groan of the ship served as a nice background noise, even if Tsunade hated ships. They were too confined for her, too limited. Besides, they had a smell to them that made her nose wrinkle. Unfortunately, sometimes they were the only option for travel, as their current trip to a mythical land served to illustrate.

Rummaging through the galley, since they were paying handsomely for the boat, Tsunade sought something to take the edge off. Sadly, all she found were a few dry bags of tea. She'd make do, of course, but as she tasted the tea only to blanch at the sour taste, she swore for not thinking ahead. Sake would be good right about now, might numb her to the fear looming in her mind, and at the very least it would taste better than the tea.

Mastering her urge to gag, Tsunade sipped the foul-tasting liquid, trying to ease her troubled mind. This entire mission might be a waste of time, but she dared not forgo it. At least she, unlike others, had no delusions about this being some altruistic move; no, Tsunade knew and admitted that she was being selfish.

Jiraiya belonged to her. Simple as that. It would be a cold day in hell before she let him go.

The galley door creaked open and she looked up, watching mutely as Naruto entered the small room and began rummaging around. No doubt, he needed to sate his ramen craving, though she would have thought he'd have packed a supply. When the blond cursed, ending up empty handed save for some crackers, Tsunade chuckled.

His personality seemed a lot like Anko's, though every so often Jiraiya made a showing. He still reminded her of both her brother and Dan; but, unlike when he was younger, there was no heartache. Staying in Konoha, forced to face her memories, had been good for her though painful.

"So," Naruto said, sitting down at the small table bolted to the floor of the ship, "think this Ippan-i will do the trick?"

"Don't know. But it's not like I have a choice," Tsunade answered, sitting heavily across from him, tea forgotten on the counter. "I'm not going to let the Shinigami have that stupid idiot without trying my damndest to save him."

"You know, Ero-sennin would freak if he knew you were so worried about him."

"No." Tsunade corrected mildly, "he'd be pissed. Out of all of the Sannin, he's the only one that's accepted death."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, crumbs falling on his jacket absently.

"You know what Orochimaru's goal is, correct?"

"Immortality, right?" Naruto said, scowling slightly. "Ero-sennin told me once, and I agree with him, 'Being immortal is worse than death.'"

"You think so?"

"Yeah." Naruto said, nodding. "I mean, living forever? You'd have to see everyone you love die, everything precious to you crumble..."

"Heh," Tsunade chuckled dryly. "That's what makes him unique. Of the three of us; Jiraiya, Orochimaru and me, only two of us detest death to the point of trying to defy it. Of course, I try to defy it by delaying it like any good medic, but I know that _eventually_ it'll win. Orochimaru refuses to accept that, and has made it his purpose to not just cheat death, but conquer it."

"And Ero-sennin?"

"Jiraiya accepts death, and I think he even looks forward to it." Tsunade said, lips compressing into a thin line. Thinking about this introduced a moment of doubt. Should she actually steal this away from her teammate? He had long since accepted it, as she should, but the famous medic brandished such thoughts.

It didn't matter what he wanted.

"Ah, I don't get it, but whatever." Naruto shrugged. "I don't think too much about death anyway."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's gonna happen eventually, but that's life. I just won't let it happen 'til after I'm Hokage." Naruto said with a grin, earning a dark chuckle from Tsunade. Finishing a cracker, he dusted his hands off, before leaning back. "So, I've been wondering about Sakura-"

"What about the bitch?" Tsunade snapped curtly, her gaze cold enough to make even Naruto flinch.

"Well, I'm probably going to end up facing them sooner or later and I promised Ino-chan that I would make them pay." Naruto explained, sitting forward. "I expect Sasuke to be about my level, but I don't know about Sakura. I heard she was a genjutsu expert and if she studied with you, she's gotta have some other tricks."

"You're not nearly as stupid as you look...or I remember," Tsunade said dourly, but glad to pass the responsibility of dealing with her traitorous student off on someone else. "Ok, this is what you need to know; Sakura, by the age of fourteen, was more talented than Shizune could ever hope to be. I taught her skills that many more experienced medics struggled with. She read more medical scrolls than any other medic I've met. She used her talent at medical jutsu and genjutsu to create the single most devastating and unbreakable genjutsu I've personally ever heard of. Oh, and she has frightening levels of chakra control."

Naruto whistled, eyes widening.

"It gets better," Tsunade said her voice growing ominous. "By the time she left the village, she had apparently gone further than anyone other than Orochimaru and Rin into forbidden medical practices. According to the vague notes I found, Sakura desecrated the dead by using a forbidden medical technique to implant a pair of dead Sharingan eyes into herself. And made them work."

"Wait, hold it..." Naruto said, eyes widening in realization. "Sakura, a girl obsessed with Sasuke, has the Sharingan now?"

"Yes," Tsunade said. "I believe she had them for at least a year before they defected, not that the notes I've found can prove it conclusively. Her skills improved almost unnaturally around that time, and with her genjutsu abilities, aided by her stolen Sharingan no doubt, nobody ever realized it."

"So that means," Naruto said, eyes darkening in rage as a murderous feeling filled the small cabin. "I'll have to fight two pairs of Sharingan, one stolen and in the body of a girl that can cast unbreakable genjutsu and with skills that would make it extremely hard to leave a lasting wound...and a strength that could snap my neck in one punch?"

"Yes."

"Damn." Naruto managed, sitting back before a frightening grin spread across his face. "I can't wait. The three of us are going to have a good old time...and I'm going to gouge their eyes out."

"You know," Tsunade said after a moment, "sometimes I worry about you."

"I'd be more worried about that monster we'll be facing." Naruto said, his personality shifting abruptly to a bright and sunny disposition.

"Right," Tsunade deadpanned, then shook her head. She had been around enough sociopaths, two on her team as Genin, that schizophrenic changes in demeanor didn't bother her. "So, what do you think we should do?"

"Well, I figure you and Hanabi can go look for that Ippan-i stuff," Naruto said, munching on a cracker, "'cause you're the doc, right? So you'd know what would need to be done to carry it back. Hanabi cause she can help you carry more back and crap."

"While you fight that monster singlehandedly?" Tsunade drawled, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Naruto said brightly. "I figure the closer I am to danger, the farther I am from harm."

"You are obviously suffering from insanity." Tsunade said, shaking her head in exasperation. "You honestly think you'd be safer attacking a creature at least 15-feet tall than picking medicine?"

"Of course," Naruto said, nodding before pointing a finger at her with a grin, "and I'm not suffering from insanity, I'm enjoying every damn minute of it!"

* * *

Lacking windows, and with only one door whose frame had strange seals covering it, the room did not seem impressive. Indeed, the only furniture present, a giant oval shaped oak conference table and the chairs that accompanied it, did nothing to change that appearance. Nor did the room's only source of lighting, the circular light hanging over head, designed to bar shadows from all corners of the room.

Yet this room was unique as the most secure rooms within the Hokage Tower, being the location of the weekly meeting between six of the most important ninja within Konoha: the Hokage, the Shinobi Heiryoku Tachio, his aide the Jōnin Shirei, the ANBU Commander, head of the ANBU Trainee Program, and the Head of the Military Police.

Currently seated around the table, were five of the six; furthest from the door sat a plain looking man wearing a men yoroi embronzed with the Konoha leaf, next to him munching on dango sat an attractive woman in a trench coat and fish-netting. Seated closer to the door was a large, wild-looking man dressed in a Jōnin vest and on his left a dour looking white-eyed man of average build, with neatly combed hair dressed in a white kimono.

The last person, seated alone on the left side of the table, was a serious young man who bore a great resemblance to the man in the kimono.

The silence in the room seemed nearly a living creature, everyone aware of and discomforted by the undercurrent of tension in the room. Well, save for the woman, but she happened to be insane and didn't count in that regard. The silence finally broke as the door opened to reveal the masked, one-eyed man known as Hatake Kakashi, the Godaime Hokage.

He strode into the room, closing the door absently, eye closed in good humor. "Morning."

Everyone, save Anko, who didn't seem to notice the man's entrance, returned the Hokage's greeting. A few minutes later, having sat down, the Hokage beamed at each of them happily. "So, who wants to start?"

"I will," Anko said casually, holding up her stick of dango. Seeing she had the attention of the room, she grinned. "I'll have five ANBU trainees ready for promotion to full status in another two weeks. Everyone else needs to be sent back to the general forces."

"Anko," the Hokage sighed, eye no longer curved happily, "you've been sending a lot of potential ANBU away since taking over."

"Do you honestly want ANBU that are little more than cannon fodder?" Anko asked sarcastically. "Better a smaller, expertly trained force of elite ninja than a larger force of bastards that'll up and get killed by a Genin."

"Anko," the man to her right said, "I think the Hokage meant you are a tad too severe in your judgments. Trainee's are just that, trainee's; you can't expect them to perform like seasoned veterans."

"I don't," Anko shot back glaring at the man "I just want the trainee's to know they're asses from a hole in the ground. So far, I only have _five_ that met that requirement."

"Ok, ok," Kakashi said placating, trying to avoid bloodshed. "Present a list to Tenzou when you're ready. Speaking of which, Tenzou what do you have?"

"Nothing much," the man said, looking away from the woman beside him to meet the Hokage's gaze. "Tsuchi no Kuni and Kaze no Kuni are still holding minor skirmishes, Kusa no Kuni is finally making their move on Kuma no Kuni...Oh, and apparently the two A-ranked missing ninja Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke have abandoned Oto."

"Say what?" the wild-looking man said, blinking in surprise.

"According to our source within Ta no Kuni, the two have fled the village but we don't know where to." Tenzou said blandly, his eyes lacking emotion as always. "They took out the Sannin Shū, leaving only Sakon. Which isn't surprising really Koinu-san."

"But why?" Koinu asked bewilidered.

"We don't know," Tenzou said, shaking his head. "Rumor has it that they fled due to the arrival of a certain ninja, though we have no clue which that ninja is. Orochimaru has put a 'net' over all of Ta no Kuni, somehow managing to silence even the vaguest of rumor."

"I see," Kakashi said, leaning back in his seat while the others processed the information. "I want teams sent to Kawa no Kuni, Tani no Kuni, Takumi no Kuni, Ishi no Kuni, Cha no Kuni, Nami no Kuni and Umi no Kuni. I'll contact Mizu no Kuni for permission to enter Umi no Kuni since it's their protectorate, and Kaminari no Kuni for Tani no Kuni."

"What about Ikazuchi no Kuni, Taki no Kuni and Kaze no Kuni?" Tenzou asked, "or any of the other few remaining countries not within Kusai no Kuni control?"

"I don't look for them to head west, but include Ikazuchi no Kuni in the search. Kaminari no Kuni shouldn't have a problem with it even though it's their satellite," Kakashi admitted, "but I want our teams to scour every inch of those countries for those two, before Oto finds them."

"We can safely discount the Jakunen Riku and Yasei no Kuniguni, so at least that's something." Anko said, starting a fresh dango stick "only complete loonies go there..."

"So why aren't you and Naruto there?" Tenzou muttered, earning him a glare.

"Why not head west?" Koinu asked, knee bouncing, missing or ignoring their conversation.

"Well they, along with Itachi and Orochimaru, take their sweet time about making a move. So most likely they'll settle somewhere remote to recover and then plan their next move."

"Plus, heading west involves a 'skirmish action' between two Kage countries and at least one open war." Tenzou added, facing the Inuzuka, "So while any of the few currently warring countries against Kusa no Kuni would happily take them in, it wouldn't be worth the effort."

"Oh?" Koinu asked, frowning.

"Think about it, the war Kusa no Kuni is fighting is right smack between Kaze no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni, including Tsuchi no Kuni's satellite of Yama no Kuni. Tsuchi no Kuni and hence Yama no Kuni fanatically despise Konoha ninja, even missing ones, they'd kill them on sight possibly even go out of their way to hunt them down."

"So they cross Kaze no Kuni and join Kiba no Kuni, Mori no Kuni, Numa no Kuni or Tsume no Kuni."

"They could but once Kuma no Kuni falls, and it will," the Hokage interjected "Kiba no Kuni, Numa no Kuni and Tsume no Kuni will capitulate. They simply don't have the forces to fight off such a foe and neither Sakura nor Sasuke would join the losing side of a war."

"Also, don't forget that Mori no Kuni borders the far side of Tsuchi no Kuni, hence, they have a strong military presence there as well." Tenzou finished, before sighing. "Of course, that would only matter if they could actually get past Kaze no Kuni, since Suna would love to report any missing Konoha ninja, or even offer them up gift wrapped to us, in exchange for a secret alliance."

"...I really have to start thinking before I speak," Koinu said ruefully. "All of that was obvious. Ugh, I'll never understand why Tsume selected me for the job of Shinobi Heiryoku Tachiou."

"Because, Inuzuka-san, you can coordinate the regular forces best, I would imagine," the man seated to his left said warily.

"Probably Hizashi, but still..." Koinu said with a shrug. "Without you as Jōnin Shirei, I'd get confused really fast."

"I am glad I am helpful." Hizashi said. "May I also remind you that you had something you wished to discuss with the Hokage?"

"Huh?" Koinu said, before grinning. "Oh yeah, thanks, knew I'd forget if you didn't remind me."

"There's something you needed to tell me?" Kakashi asked, as Koinu turned to the masked man once more.

"Hehe, well not really tell you, but it's come to my attention that Uzumaki Naruto is back in the village and he still hasn't been placed on a team."

"Yes, well he's been performing solo missions," Kakashi explained, shrugging. "It seemed the best solution."

"But Konoha law says that solo missions can only be performed by those of Jōnin rank. Also, you transferred a Genin to him as an apprentice, which is also something that is supposed to be restricted to Jōnin." Koinu said, snapping his fingers after Hizashi cleared his throat. "Also, he seems to be under the impression that he's doing these solo missions for his Jōnin promotion, but neither me nor Hizashi ever received his paperwork requesting permission."

Kakashi paused for a moment, eye boring into Koinu before his tone went flat. "The paper work was taken care of through my office, I gave him approval to start the process of Jōnin promotion and I granted him Hanabi as an apprentice because she needed a Sensei that would teach her and not cower before a clan of bigots."

"Excuse me?" the youngest person present said, a deadly chill in his tone. "Surely you are mistaken."

"No," Kakashi shot back, glowering at the young man. "I am not mistaken Neji. The Hyūga ostracized that girl and have used their status within the village to intimidate most people into abandoning her. All because she refused an arranged marriage."

"Hokage-sama," Neji said, tone strained, "it was an internal Clan matter and as such, it was handled internally. It is within the Konoha charter granting the right to each clan to handle their inner problems without interference from the Hokage or the village as a whole. Which is exactly what the Hyūga Clan has done-"

"I'm not interfering," Kakashi said firmly while glaring at the young Hyūga heir. "Hanabi is no longer Hyūga; therefore, she is no longer under your jurisdiction. I may not be allowed to remove the seals to restore her bloodline, but I am allowed to ensure she gains the skills necessary for a ninja of Konoha."

"Then why do you continuously pester Otou-san to remove them?" Neji snapped, which caused Hizashi's eyes to cut to him sharply.

"Neji," the elder Hyūga said firmly, interrupting the argument, "as the head of the Branch Family, I respectfully remind you that the Hokage does not have to explain his reasons for discussing certain matters with the Head of the Main Family."

"Yes," Neji said after a moment, visibly releasing his anger before turning to face Hizashi, "and as Heir to the Main Family, I must remind you not to refer to me so familiarly."

"Of course," Hizashi said tightly. "I apologize Neji-sama."

There was a moment of silence as the tension in the room abated somewhat, before the Hokage turned back to Koinu. "Koinu-san, I hope you don't take offense at my decision to handle Naruto's promotion personally. He has been away training for three years and he needed the help."

"I understand," Koinu said agreeably, nodding. "Again, it was only recently brought to my attention, so I was curious. Would it be fair to request that from now on all the proper paper work travel through my offices?"

"Of course," Kakashi agreed before looking at Neji blandly. "If there is nothing to report from the Military Police?"

"Nothing, Hokage-sama. Other than the normal vandalism on the Uchiha home."

"Of course." Koinu sighed, shaking his head. "I'll have a Genin team clean it up."

"Good," Kakashi said, before beaming at the gathered group. "So, who's up for some lunch?"

* * *

Dawn came with deep reds and blues, giving the sea-green ocean an almost black color. The thrum of an engine, an expensive item that required a special seal to run, and a creaking deck filled the air as a single-mast travelled at her best speed. For many people, this would be a special treat, few ever got to ride a ship powered by an engine.

For the youngest passenger leaning against the rail, her eyes fixed on the horizon, it proved to be torture. Hanabi could feel her stomach roll every time they crested a wave, and staring at the horizon line was her only option to combat the seasickness, outside of eating ginger, which made her break out in hives. Thankfully, Naruto's trick of staring at the horizon helped, though it didn't completely ease her nausea and, every so often, she could catch a whiff from below decks.

Silently Hanabi thanked the Kami that she didn't have to sleep down there; doing so would only make her seasickness worse. Besides, with space at such a premium, it deserved to go to the two more experienced ninja. Not that they had slept long. Last she'd seen, before going to bed, they were busy playing cards with the captain.

"Good _mooooooooorning,_ Hanabi!" Naruto suddenly said from behind her, his voice echoing in the morning air.

Hanabi whipped around, then instantly regretted it as her nausea increased. She mastered her urge to regurgitate her last meal and focused instead on her smiling sadistic sensei. Hanabi felt a strong urge to jam a kunai into him: Nobody should look that pleasant while she had to suffer the horror of seasickness.

"Did you sleep well?" Hanabi managed, almost retching when the ship pitched as it went over a small wave.

"Like a baby!" Naruto gloated happily, oblivious to her ire. "I spent a lot of time on a boat when I was travelling with Ero-sennin, so I'm used to it. Now, you though, you look a little green."

"I...am not feeling well," Hanabi admitted, closing her eyes briefly to reinforce her iron will on her traitorous stomach. "I asked Tsunade-sama last night if she could do anything, but she said it would be a waste of time."

"Heh, yea Baba always say's stuff like that," Naruto said, more to himself than to her, then snapped his fingers "Oi, I got something that might help!"

"If it is ginger-"

"Nah, you already told me it gives you hives," Naruto said absently, now searching through his inner jacket pockets. "Let's see...where'd I put it? Aha!" A moment later Hanabi was staring at Naruto's palm, where he was offering two oblong brown pills.

"Sensei?"

"I picked these up in Takumi no Kuni, after I sold some stuff I got off my last mission. Anyway, they're supposed to help with upset stomachs and motion sickness. I forgot I had them."

"I see," Hanabi said, taking the pills carefully then looked around before sighing. "I will need water."

"Nah, the guy said you just stick them under the tongue and let it dissolve." Naruto said, waving a hand. "Anyway, after breakfast, we'll do some training so I'll see ya later!"

"Wait," Hanabi said, causing Naruto to stop and turn back to her with a look of curiosity on his face. She hadn't meant to say that aloud, but she'd been thinking about something since the Hokage's office. With him staring at her, Hanabi sighed, deciding to go ahead and ask despite a part of her telling her not to. "Why did you have me sneak into the Hyūga Estate? For that matter, why did you have me lie about what happened to the items?"

"Eh?" Naruto said before scratching the side of his nose. "Well, those things belonged to you and I needed a good test to prove your skill."

"So you had me lie-"

"So they couldn't take 'em back." Naruto explained with s shrug. "Plus it pissed 'em off. Either way, when we get back I'll make sure to give them to you."

"Y-you retrieved them?" Hanabi asked, slightly startled, unaware of when he could have done such a thing. After leaving the office, he'd been a constant annoyance as she tried to prepare for the mission.

"Well I did pay good money for 'em." Naruto chuckled good naturedly. "I had a Kage Bunshin pick them up. They're at my place, so no chance of them being stolen."

"I see," Hanabi murmured, oddly touched that he would go out of his way to ensure she got those items. He had done something not many people would attempt and even fewer could manage successfully. Looking up at him, she let out a silent breath, bowing slightly. "Thank you, Naruto-sensei."

"Eh, don't thank me yet," Naruto said, ruffling her hair. "Save that for after you make it back in once piece."

That said, Naruto turned, bounding off like a hyperactive monkey toward an irate looking Tsunade. Hanabi stared after him, confused by the ever increasing enigma. He shifted from personality to personality with such frightening frequency that she would never be sure which was the true Naruto and which his act. Worse yet, Hanabi wondered if she would end up that insane.

Shaking it off, Hanabi placed the pills under her tongue, disgusted by the bitter taste. Then, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation of fresh wind against her face. Her long hair fluttered about her face, adding a gentle tickling sensation that Hanabi normally did not experience.

A gentle curve found its way to her lips as she smiled softly.

Opening her eyes, she tipped her head back, studying the wispy clouds pass over head.

A moment later, Hanabi went overboard due to a shove from behind. Her sensei shouted for her to start water walking before cackling with twisted glee.

* * *

Over all it had been a good day for sailing, the sea had been calm and the engine had borne them smoothly along. By the time they rounded the tip of Cha no Kuni and entered the water of Umi no Kuni, it had been late morning.

She had never seen Naruto withdrawn to such an extent and she had worried. The blond had stared for a few hours off the aft of the ship, at the western horizon where Uzu no Kuni had been. By mid-afternoon, he had recovered and as they passed to the south of Taro Island he had set about torturing Hanabi once more.

The young girl had borne it in stoic silence, which had mildly impressed Tsunade, but the girl was the last thing on her mind. After all, if she wasn't Naruto's apprentice, Tsunade wouldn't have bothered to learn the girl's name. As it was, Tsunade had said very little to Hanabi and preferred it that way.

It was early evening now; they had just cleared the last of the Umi no Kuni Island's and were now heading out to open waters. Waters that no ship had ever willingly plowed, waters that not even Naruto and Jiraiya had traveled during their training trip to other uncharted lands. It would be three days, roughly, according to Naruto, before they reached the archipelagos of Tsuki no Kuni.

Apparently, unlike Jiraiya, Naruto had developed a taste for maps and geography instead of porn.

Tsunade shook her head slightly, focusing on what mattered most to her. All that mattered, all that she cared about, was reaching Tsuki no Kuni and finding the Ippan-i, though even then she wasn't sure how to prove it worked. Doubt set in once more, a frequent visitor since starting this mission. She was risking a lot for a near forgotten fairytale.

She tried to squash the doubt down. As a Sannin, Tsunade knew that fairytales sometimes had a grain of truth, but this was Jiraiya's life.

Not that she could give up. Better to make this desperate bid for a cure than let him slowly die. It was not in her to do that, not in her to let someone she cared about die without trying her damndest to save them. She had tried with Dan and she would be damned if she didn't do just as much for Jiraiya and she refused to give up until she'd exhausted all her options.

Oh yes, Tsunade was not going to let Jiraiya go unless she truly had no choice in the matter, and even then it would not be a peaceful parting. Tsunade would kill Jiraiya before she let the Shinigami just steal him away from her. That much she had promised the night she came up with this brilliant last ditch effort and she would see it through.

Swaying gently with the rocking of the boat as it cut across the ocean, Tsunade reached up to brush a few strands of her hair from her face and scowled. There had to be a way to ensure that this cure worked, some way to know if her attempt had been in vain or not. Then she caught the faintest scent of Hanabi's perfume and turned to find the girl slowly approaching, looking slightly sick.

Inspiration struck.

"Tsunade-sama, Daisuke-san and Naruto-sensei say that dinner is ready." the young Genin said politely.

"Thanks," Tsunade said, staring at the girl, wondering if she could truly risk this girl's life to prove the cure worked or not.

"Tsunade-sama," Hanabi said, shifting her weight slightly, "can I ask you about Naruto-sensei?"

"Eh, what do you want to know?"

"He is different than I expected, and he has told me nothing of value about his past or his family."

"He's an orphan," Tsunade said with a shrug. "He grew up alone and then later under Mitarashi Anko. Both tend to jealously guard their past and secrets."

"I see," Hanabi murmured, eyes turning away.

Tsunade studied the girl intently, realizing that Hanabi had really wanted to ask something else but grown scared. Hanabi wanted to know something specific, but obviously was unsure of how to approach asking and would thus dance around the subject. Tsunade thought for a moment then shook her head, a flare of annoyance flashing through her mind; she didn't have time for that.

"Hanabi, if you want to know something just ask."

"It's just," Hanabi started, then paused before staring at Tsunade. "He can, with ease, make me talk to him about things I would not normally discuss."

"Ah," Tsunade said, nodding slightly. "I can't really tell you why it happens, just that there's something about him."

"I see," Hanabi sighed, looking away, face troubled, "but I would like to know why he feels, well like..."

"An older brother?" Tsunade guessed, chortling at Hanabi's surprise. "Probably because you're an orphan now and he _is_ pretty much acting like one."

"He is my Sensei. I am his student. We should not consider each other family."

"Keyword: 'We'," Tsunade said, then shook her head and walked off, leaving the girl standing there. Mentally, she ran through the poisons she could use on Hanabi to provide a suitable test for the Ippan-i on the trip back. Nothing immediately fatal or beyond her ability to cure, but Tsunade needed a test subject to discover how to turn the herb into a cure.

Liquid or paste, cooked or raw, was it the extract of fluids, the root, or the petals?

Yes, Tsunade had many tests to do and only one test subject.

* * *

**AN:**

**Bun Ekitai no Waza**: Act of Dividing Liquid

**Men Yoroi**: literally means "face armor" a general term for Tenzou's style of forehead protector.

**Satellite Country:** A country with its own local government that is actually under the central control of a much larger country. Though technically two separate countries they are, in fact, a single entity.

**Protectorate:** A country with its own local goverment that pays a larger country for military help, basically having a standing contract for protection while maintaining its independence. (Mori no Kuni is a protectorate of Iwa, Nami no Kuni is a protectorate of Konoha, Umi no Kuni is a protectorate of Kiri and Tani a protectorate of Kumo)

**Country Reference List**

Ta no Kuni:...............Rice Field Country

Mizu no Kuni:.............Water Country

Kaminari no Kuni:.........Lightning Country

Tsuchi no Kuni:...........Earth Country

Kaze no Kuni:.............Wind Country

Tani no Kuni:.............Valley Country

Takumi no Kuni:...........Craftsman Country

Ishi no Kuni:.............Stone Country

Cha no Kuni:..............Tea Country

Nami no Kuni:.............Wave Country

Umi no Kuni:..............Sea Country

Taki no Kuni:.............Waterfall Country

Kusa no Kuni:.............Grass Country

Yama no Kuni:.............Mountain Country

Numa no Kuni:.............Marsh Country

Mori no Kuni:.............Forest Country

Kiba no Kuni:.............Fang Country

Tsume no Kuni:............Claw Country

Kuma no Kuni:.............Bear Country

Kawa no Kuni:.............River Country

Tsuki no Kuni:............Moon Country

Yasei no Kuniguni:........Wild Countries

Jakunen Riku:.............Desolate Land

Ikazuchi no Kuni:.........Thunder Country


	11. Chapter 9: Sacrificed Gamble

**Naruto:**Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 9:  
_-Sacrificed Gamble-  
_By Geor-sama

* * *

Two weeks, half a month, that was how long they had been on this mission. A week at sea, a week to walk to the harbor to rent a boat, and it appeared they were still no closer to their objective. Despite the map Naruto had, it was proving tricky to find the first archipelago's of Tsuki no Kuni.

That explained his presence on deck so early in the morning, consulting his map and squinting as he tried to find the first sign of the island. He had spent a long time at sea during his training and, frankly, he was sick of it, so he wanted this over and done with. Quickly, before he did something drastic and admittedly stupid.

At a sudden gust of wind, Naruto looked up, pocketing his map before the wind ripped it from his hands. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as a huge bank of fog appeared from nowhere, moving forward, he kept a wary eye on it. Something told him this fog wasn't a natural occurrence, which wouldn't surprise him: With the Kyūbi, unnatural things happened frequently to him.

"Depth?" Daisuke shouted from the main deck, just barely visible through the fog now billowing over the boat.

"Alright!" Naruto shouted back, a little annoyed that Tsunade had let slip that he was a capable deck hand from his experience traveling at sea. Then again, it wasn't like Daisuke had asked him to sail the ship, just read the water depth. Tossing the lead-line over the side, he was disturbed by the muffled splash that greeted him.

"Naruto?"

"Thirty fathoms?" Naruto called back, scowling as he tried to remember how to read the depth like he had learned. He felt the engine die and he tensed, focusing on his assigned task. "Twenty-five fathoms!"

"We're shallowing!" Daisuke shouted. "Tsunade-sama, can you throw the starboard anchor?"

"Ok." The Sannin shouted back, having just emerged from below decks. A soft splash followed and a moment later a shudder ran through the ship under his feet as it found purchase.

"Depth!"

"Twenty-two fathoms!" Naruto called back. Spotting Hanabi, who had only now woken up, he scowled. "Climb up the mast and tell us if you see anything," he directed briskly.

Hanabi nodded, scrambling to do so quickly. A moment later, he heard her muffled voice from above. "I can see nothing, Naruto-sensei. The fog is too thick."

Naruto started to say something, when he realized the ship still had forward momentum from its own weight and speed. Naruto whipped his head around at a sudden impact at the bow of the ship, spotting a large rock.

"Rocks!" Hanabi shouted from overhead, nearly prompting Naruto to shoot back a sarcastic comment. Only, he had no time to waste. There were rocks all along the side of the boat, menacing. He wondered how they could have missed them before now.

"Shit! Port anchor, Naruto, port anchor!" Daisuke screeched frantically.

Naruto created a Kage Bunshin to throw the port anchor over the side with a splash. The jerk of the anchor sent the ship into a slight spin, before a wave rocked the ship from the other side.

"Hanabi, come down!" Naruto shouted, creating more Kage Bunshin and setting them to work all over the deck as he felt the ship rise on a surprise swell. His stomach dropped as he had a horrible insight of what would soon happen.

Then, with a sickening crack, the ship came down against the edge of the rocks.

Clutching the railing, Naruto looked around to find Hanabi stumbling back to her feet. She looked fine, and his attention went toward a vague silhouette in the distance. Naruto checked the depth one last time, then darted to Daisuke on the main deck. "Is your boat okay?"

"She's taken worse," Daisuke said grimly, staring at the rear of his ship, "but I think that last bit ruined her rudder."

"Well, least we cut the engine before that," Naruto muttered, shaking his head in annoyance. "So, now what?"

"We sit here," Daisuke muttered. "In this fog. I'm not sure where any of those islands are. Plus, with these rocks it's too much of a risk to do more, even if I could see where I was going."

"Naruto," Tsunade said, coming to join them, "do you think you could use a wind jutsu to move this fog?"

"I think so," Naruto said after a moment, scowling slightly. "It'd take a lot of chakra, but I think a Daitoppa could do the trick. It looks like its clearing up to me though."

"Either way," Tsunade said, calling Hanabi to join them before addressing Daisuke. "If you have a skiff, we'll go ashore from here."

"Well, if he can move the fog..." Daisuke started to say, awkwardly.

"It'd be faster to use a skiff," Tsunade said, cutting him off as she turned to Hanabi. "When we get ashore, you're going with me to find this 'Vault of Heaven'."

"And Naruto-sensei?" Hanabi asked politely, glancing at him.

"He wants to play hero," Tsunade said with a shake of her head. "Don't worry about him. If he hasn't died by now, I doubt he'll die now."

"Gee thanks!" Naruto said too cheerfully, turning to Daisuke. "I'll leave ya some Kage Bunshin to help fix things, k?"

A nod and a handshake later, the three ninja were in the skiff, making their way through the rocks. Thankfully, in a few moments, the fog cleared and they received their first, and spectacular, view of Tsuki no Kuni. At least a hundred miles long and wide; with steep cliffs, a dense jungle just beyond the edge of the beach, and on the far side, what appeared to be a volcanic mountain.

"Where do you think the Ippan-i is?" Naruto asked, rowing the skiff expertly toward the beach, eyes focused on the island.

"No telling," Tsunade murmured, her gaze fixed on the island as well. "We'll just have to scour the whole island."

"Naruto-sensei, why not send out Kage Bunshin to locate this 'Ippan-i'?" Hanabi asked, turning to stare at him.

"Wow, when'd you get so smart?" Naruto asked, grinning at her. Apparently, she had more scouting sense than he would have pegged her for, plus, this way she'd have to spend as little time alone with Tsunade as possible. He approved of both reasons, and reached out to ruffle her hair fondly then resumed rowing.

The skiff washed onto the beach and Naruto jumped out, wading hip deep before creating a few thousand clones and sending them scurrying off to explore the island. Turning back, he grinned at the two kunoichi, stretching. "Right, so just give me an hour and I'll have that-"

"I'm not waiting," Tsunade said curtly, hopping out of the boat to wade ashore. Naruto scowled and moved to block her path. He knew she'd been impatient but this amounted to sheer stupidity. Unfortunately, while he had gotten much stronger, she retained that legendary strength and without so much as a warning, she demonstrated it by backhanding him out of her way.

Swearing, he called for Hanabi to follow him as he splashed to his feet and hurried after Tsunade.

"Baba, what the hell are you doing?!" Naruto shouted angrily, reaching the beach a minute after her. "I know you're old and senile, but rushing off like this could get us or yourself hurt!"

"Look, the longer I wait, the shorter his time is," Tsunade snapped rounding to jab a finger into his chest. "So get the hell outta my way."

"Naruto-sensei is correc-"

Hanabi's sentence died when a rumbling filled the air, followed by a swelling of the sand beneath them, and the three ninja separated with a leap. Landing in a skid, creating a rain of sand, Naruto's mouth fell open in surprise. The beast extracted itself completely from the ground a moment later, with a growl that reverberated through the air of the beach. Naruto took the monster in almost immediately, as he had been trained too.

Four legs, each the size of three trees combined, held up a body at least thirty feet in both width and length and at least ten feet high at the shoulder. More outstanding was the massive head, broad and flat, with a mouth that opened to reveal rows of vicious teeth the size of katana. The thing could chomp a ship in half.

"Shit." Naruto muttered, forming the 'tora' seal and unleashing his most signature wind jutsu, the "Futon: Daitoppa". The jutsu uprooted several trees, tossed around a few nearby rocks and scattered sand, but the beast reacted like the attack was nothing more than a gentle breeze. Stomach tightening, he hurriedly deliberated on his higher rank ninjutsu.

He settled on an A-rank jutsu, the one he had recreated, as it had yet to let him down when it hit the target. Forming a rapid series of hand seals, he condensed the air before him into the ethereal shape of a dragon and sent it hurtling toward the creature. "Fūton: Kazeryudan no jutsu!"

It struck the creature's flank hard, but it glanced around the beach without too much concern. Tsunade and Hanabi were long since gone, had probably got out of the area when he'd used the Daitoppa. His thoughts were disrupted as he heard a nose, not unlike an earthquake, fill the air. The monster charged him.

"Not good!" Naruto shouted, flashing another series of seals before creating a "Fūton: Byōbu", which should have deterred it slightly. Instead, the creature just kept coming, a tad bit slower, but mostly it ignored the wall. Naruto preformed a hasty Kawarimi with a rock, and began a series of rapid Shunshin's before skidding to a halt in a hail of sand.

The creature barreled through the series of exploding notes he had left in his wake without slowing and Naruto took off into the jungle at top speed.

Kami, him and his brilliant ideas.

* * *

Tsunade pushed her way through the jagged landscape, a kunai slicing through the thick vegetation, while Hanabi stumbled along behind her. The famous medic paused briefly, looking around; it felt as if they had something stalking them. After the sight of that monster from the beach, she wouldn't be surprised if there were other creatures on the island.

Pushing forward, Tsunade ducked hanging moss from an overhead branch, listening to the girl behind her. She spared a brief thought about her, pleased that Naruto seemed to be a good enough sensei to train the girl to keep from freezing up. Then her peripheral vision caught something darting into the trees on her left. She kept from turning her head, but it had been roughly her height.

They travelled maybe another 10 minutes before a loud roar echoed over the jungle, startling large birds into flight, while making Tsunade and Hanabi pause. Both tensed eyes, darting around, ready for anything, then a half-scream, half-shout echoed through the air and Tsunade relaxed. Eyes darting into the deep darkness of the surrounding jungle, Tsunade waited a moment, then nodded, setting off once more.

"Tsunade-sama, it will take us several days to search this island."

Tsunade ignored the girl, even if those were her first words since leaving the beach. Hanabi mattered only because she would be Tsunade's personal guinea pig later, not even because she was Naruto's student. Tsunade mused if the blond would really miss her that much. He could always find another student if he really had his heart set on teaching.

"You should have waited for sensei's Kage Bunshin," Hanabi complained, sounding disgruntled.

"You know," Tsunade said absently, slashing a thick vine, "instead of talking, you should be paying attention to our surroundings. That creature was easily 10-feet tall, and as big as a house. Think about what it must have to eat. There's no way it could sustain itself on just plant life."

"That is all the more reason-" Hanabi started to say, before letting out a yelp and dodging back, wasting a perfectly good kunai to kill a bug the size of a small dog.

"Stupid genin," Tsunade muttered, shaking her head as she kept going, swatting an equally large bug away. Wiping sweat from her forehead, swearing at the heat, the medic considered the pros and cons of stopping for the moment. True she wasn't on the verge of heat-exhaustion, she could regulate her chakra to keep her temperature close to constant, but Hanabi didn't have such skill and Tsunade didn't have the inclination to teach it to the girl.

Glancing over her shoulder to look at the girl, she grimaced at the sweat pouring off the younger ninja. Tsunade couldn't risk Hanabi passing out from heat exhaustion, which would mess up her plans for experimenting with the Ippan-i later. Pushing a large leaf out of her way to reveal a clearing, she decided the risk outweighed her need to keep moving. "We'll stop here and cool off, then set out again in an hour."

"I am fine," Hanabi said, her steps slightly unsteady as she followed Tsunade into the clearing.

"Heat exhaustion isn't something to mess around with," Tsunade explained walking toward a tree.

"I hardly believe sweat-"

"Are you a medic?" Tsunade asked, rounding on the girl sharply. When Hanabi shook her head, she smirked. "Then we'll trust my judgment."

"Very well," Hanabi relented, albeit reluctantly, as she moved toward her own tree, "but can I ask why exactly we're -"

"Personal business," Tsunade answered sharply. "Besides, this is a mission and Shinobi Rule Number Two says 'There is nothing to consider other than the completion of a mission.' So you really don't need to know."

"Naruto-sensei has said that the Shinobi Rules are not always to be followed," Hanabi countered firmly. "'You have to know why you are doing something.' That is Naruto Rule Number Six."

"Tell you what," Tsunade said dryly, "you can accept my answer of personal business and, if you don't like it, I can break your jaw."

Before Hanabi could retort, a large object hurtled into the clearing and rushed into a tree at the far end. Tsunade, more curious than anything, approached the projectile while Hanabi adopted a defensive stance. The object in question turned out to be a lizard, human sized, with an elongated snout with rows of razor-sharp teeth, two small arms with a large curving talon, two massive legs and a tail lying limply on the ground behind it.

Spotting the sign of a Rasengan attack on its chest, she arched an eyebrow.

"Baba! Hanabi!"

Turning quickly, Tsunade found a battered looking Naruto emerging from the tree line, a cocky grin on his face. "Glad I found ya."

"Naruto-sensei?" Hanabi asked cautiously, kunai not wavering an inch.

"Eh, not really, just a Kage Bunshin," the Naruto said, glancing at the girl before turning back to Tsunade. "Nearly outta chakra to. There was a whole pack of those damn things. Got ambushed. Anyway, I found it!"

"You found it?" Tsunade asked eyes widening as hope flared within her.

"Yeah," Naruto said, nodding as he turned to point out the direction he had come from. "Across a chasm and past a slope, about a mile, there's a good-sized patch of the stuff. Bone white and etc."

"Thanks," Tsunade said, brown eyes narrowing as her attention locked onto how close they were to her target. The Ippan-i was just a mile away. Soon, she'd have the cure in her hands. Jiriaya's life. "We'll be back at the ship in two hours."

"Got it." The Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke as the legendary medic set off once more in direction he had given. She didn't even register Hanabi hurrying after her, or the way the girl's breathing became labored. All Tsunade cared about, all that mattered, was getting the Ippan-i and nothing would stop her from that task.

Shoving a tree aside, roots cracking as it upended, the medic paused at the edge of a sudden dip in the ground then continued. She blew off Hanabi's breathless question about it. Paw prints didn't interest her now. Twenty minutes later, they reached the vine-entangled chasm, a narrow but deadly ravine that seemed to gape mockingly like a Shinigami's smile.

Overhead, a weak light danced through the dark canopy, giving the place a sickly green hue. Tsunade spotted a moss covered log that spanned the chasm and quickly set about using it cross. As they set out once more, Hanabi's breathing grew louder, but Tsunade kept moving, her obsession overriding what little common sense that she had possessed before.

Then they crested a hill and looked out over a vine strewn slope. It rolled away into a narrow valley barely 20-feet wide, flanked by sheer cliffs with a decent sized patch of bone white plants in the center. A jolt ran through her. Hard to breathe. Just a few minutes more and she'd have her cure.

"This is it," Tsunade murmured and quickly started down the slope, Hanabi struggling to follow in her wake. Reaching the patch of Ippan-i a moment later, she knelt, hand shaking as she touched the first herb. There seemed to be a soothing scent, one that took Tsunade back to her younger days, back before she was a Sannin, before she became a ninja, before she even knew what the ninja academy was.

_Tsunade was four playing alone and had just skinned her knee, crying. Then there was a four-year-old boy, with spiky white hair asking if she was ok-_

The Sannin jerked sharply out her memories at a cry of pain, seeing Hanabi reel away from something, a kunai shoved in its eye. The girl slumped to her knees and Tsunade saw the attacker – three-feet tall, with four segmented legs, two antennae extending from each eye and a compact body that reminded her strongly of an armored beetle.

A rustling to the left signaled another of the creatures before it lunged toward Tsunade. The medic reacted on instinct, her fist connecting with the creature with a sharp crack. It nearly carried her to the ground under its weight, but Tsunade heaved, tossing the beast into the other one.

Damn, that thing had been two hundred pounds easy. Moving to check on Hanabi, the Sannin froze, seeing blood darkening the girl's side. Hands shaking, she reached out as if to heal the wound, but froze halfway. She couldn't do it, the blood, the smell, it coursed through her and she flashed back to the night Dan died.

_...the blood, there was so much blood, on her hands and face, in her mouth and hair..._

She fought against the phobia, part of her aware of the danger surrounding her; a child lay dying at her feet, Jiraiya's only chance of life, and her own, slipping between her fingers. Yet, even with all of that, she couldn't make her body move, couldn't shake the fear that gripped her soul so tightly that it took all her willpower to simply breathe.

Then the air filled with explosions, followed by a half dozen Narutos crashing into the area, kunai flying as they killed more of those creatures.

"Baba!" a Naruto shouted, kneeling next to her, his clothes covered with gunk and a kunai in hand. "Are you okay?" At her continued silence, he reached out and roughly shook her shoulder. "COME ON! Heal Hanabi. We'll hold these things off."

_I can't!_ Tsunade wanted to shout, to scream, but she couldn't make a noise let alone form a word. Distantly she heard the sound of Kage Bunshin exploding in a staccato rhythm. As she remained trapped both inside and outside of her body, the Naruto next to her lunged forward to protect them from the creatures while she remained frozen in place.

_"For you, Tsu-chan, I'll always be gallant when you need it most." _Jiraiya's voice echoed across the decades.

"Baba!" Naruto shouted, fighting the creatures off more fiercely than ever.

_"I'll be Hokage," "I'll protect this village with my life," "I will never give up on being Hokage!" _Three different voices echoed, but the same message clear.

One by one, the Kage Bunshin dwindled, but they took at least two of those creatures with them, never giving up.

_"You can't have him, do you hear me?!" _Tsunade shouted glaring at the empty sky, addressing death as only she could_. "Jiraiya. Is. Mine!"_

Hands shaking, but oddly galvanized, Tsunade rolled Hanabi on her side and with a chakra scalpel sliced through the shirt to see the wound. The blood flowed unabated and the edges of the wound seemed to be turning black. _Poison_, Tsunade realized dimly. Her hands moved expertly over the wound, encouraging the blood to stop and the flesh to close and seal without a scar.

Finished there, her hands moved on to scan the body, looking for and finding the poison. It spread rapidly, eating away at the girls internal organs, in ten minutes her heart and lungs would fail. It would be here that Tsunade proved her legendary status as a medic, rummaging through Hanabi's pouch; she found a half empty battle of water.

Unscrewing the cap the Sannin poured it on the girl. Right hand glowing a darker green, she began the arduous process of extracting the poison by pushing and then pulling the water out. Even as she did that, her other hand moved along behind, healing the damage. Globes of black water formed and were discarded with expert precision, a little more of the poison eradicated, even as beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Yet, with each passing minute the damage grew worse. The poison wasn't slowing down just because Tsunade removed some of it, but increased at an exponential rate, one that would eventually prove just as deadly unless she made a desperate gamble. Only, her luck stood in stark contrast against her, but what other choice did she have?

So she took it, her bet against the Shinigami, for Hanabi's life.

The water in small doses wasn't working, so instead Tsunade used her chakra to spread the water over the entire torso, diluting it to the thinnest level, a feat other medics would not dream of attempting. Both hand's shifted to a green so dark that it appeared black and Tsunade grimaced, forcing the diluted liquid through every pore searching and entrapping the poison even as it entered her heart. Expending an iron will, expending an incomprehensible amount of chakra, she entrapped every last ounce of the poison and, with a monumental heave, extracted the black water in one go.

The water floated over the girl, suspended only by the chakra in Tsunade's hands and, with a tiredness that numbed the mind, the Sannin discarded it.

Panting, she collapsed forward onto her hands, sweating and grimacing. However, things were far from done, compared to what would happen next, the extraction of the poison had been child's play. Next, came a trick she had never tried, one that she had never expected to use, but she would now and it would prove the ultimate gamble.

The poison had done its damage. There simply wasn't enough time to heal each damaged organ one at a time. Especially with the heart involved, it could give out at any moment, even if the exposure had been minimal. So the answer, the one in a million gamble, which only she could take.

Her Souzou Saisei applied to a second party.

Hanabi.

Hands moved to key points, the ones that allowed for the best chance at success. One beneath the girls back, to the base of the spine, her other hand came to rest on the girls chest. Taking a deep breath, Tsunade closed her eyes and concentrated, feeling the block she'd placed upon her 'Ifuuin: Kai' giving way before her, activating the Souzou Saisei.

Diverting that much chakra, channeling it down her arms and into the other girl, it proved a feat worthy of a Kami, but she managed. Her hands glowed a brilliant green as the stored chakra flooded the younger girl. Her breathing became short, her heartbeat seemed to increase, but Tsunade did not waver at her task until she had only a tiny drop of the stored chakra left.

Breaking contact violently, Tsunade reeled as the stored chakra with nowhere left to go dispersed through her. Panting, sweat stinging her eyes, Tsunade could feel her body break the illusion. It would return later, but for now, she needed the chakra used to maintain her body's youthful look for other tasks.

More important, at least at that moment, was if her gamble had paid off.

Hanabi coughed weakly, gasped and then with a shuddering cough, went still. Tsunade nearly panicked but she controlled her fear, praying to whatever deity was listening that the child wasn't dead. Then Tsunade's well-trained eye caught it, the minuscule rise and fall of the chest, the regular expansion of lungs. The girl had merely fallen asleep.

A flush of relief ran through Tsunade, right until Hanabi wretched and rolled over, splattering her with vomit.

Tsunade's eye twitched.

* * *

Naruto came out of his airborne Shunshin with a flip, firing off a kunai followed by a seal. The kunai multiplied several dozen times over, not that they would have a chance of hurting the beast. At least not until he flashed through another series of seals and unleashed the second technique he had planned for the combination – "Fūton: Reppushou!"

A concentrated storm of wind slammed into the weapons, and they did the job that he had hoped. Oh true, they didn't kill the damn thing, but he'd finally managed to pierce its skin. The creature roared at the impact, rearing back, face and shoulders gleaming with streams of blood. He grinned at the sight, landing in a skid and a shower of loam.

The grin promptly fell away as the monster shook like a wet dog and fixed Naruto with a gaze that made him gulp. Still, he gamely fought on, flashing through another seal as it charged, pulling out higher level jutsu.

"Fūton: Atsugai!"

A blast at least twenty times the power of his strongest version of the Daitoppa slammed into the monster from every direction. It devastated the landscape, a deep impact crater forming, and the monster reacted with a pained noise. Yet, when the attack ended, the beast stood to its full height and roared at him angrily.

"Oh fuck," Naruto muttered, realizing that he'd finally managed to piss the thing off. He dodged a charge with a combination of Shunshin and the 'Fūton: Byōbu', but caught the tip of the tail in the ribs which sent him crashing to the ground painfully. Rolling to his feet, he pivoted, watching it tear up the trees as it attempted to come back around for him.

What was with this damn thing? If he went much higher in his ninjutsu he'd be pulling out the S-rank ones, the few that he knew, and he didn't feel like discovering that even they didn't work. As it came back around, he formed a quick seal and took a breath, before exhaling sharply, unleashing a massive ball of chakra-laced wind.

Fūton: Suukou Kazekyuu.

The blast caught the beast square in the face, but it rolled with the blow, lessening the impact. As the attack dissipated, the thing charged him with an unexpected burst of speed. A hasty Kaze Chouykau got him into the air, clearing the monster with inches to spare and he tried the 'Kaze no Funkei' in an attempt to decapitate it.

The gust of wind split surrounding trees down the middle and left a deep gouge in the soft earth, but the beast merely grunted at a non-lethal gash to its neck. Naruto felt his stomach drop, and decided that an S-rank jutsu wouldn't be uncalled for. Touching down on a rock outcropping, he decided to risk it as the thing's head whipped around and its eyes narrowed ominously.

"So much for not using the Rasen Shuriken," Naruto muttered, catching his breath. Creating a horde of Kage Bunshin, he sent them hurtling toward the creature, while he retained one to help add the wind element to the Rasengan. If this failed, well, he'd have to pull out the final card he had, and he wanted to avoid the damn fox as much as he could.

Feeling the jutsu 'click', Naruto darted forward as the clones died in droves, focusing on maintaining the jutsu. One dropped in a stoop and he jumped, using their back as a launching ramp, gaining height. Another one propelled him higher with an Igai Kaze Chouyaku, which allowed him to complete the arc and drop like a stone.

A second later his hand made contact with the Rasen Shuriken, the enumerable miniscule small blades of wind obliterating the things head in a massive sphere of destruction and light. The shockwave from the explosion hurled Naruto backward, pelting him with debris as he went, until his back hit the trunk of a tree and he collapsed to the ground in a sea of pain. Coughing, rolling into a slight ball as he cradled his arm to his body, he swore his undying hatred for that damn move.

Other arm leveraging him up, he grimaced, studying the body of the creature. No head, a deep crater, a lot of devastation and destruction...and somehow, he felt sad. That thing had just been a guardian, doing its appointed job, and part of him mourned having to slaughter it. Then again, the damn thing had left him no choice, so maybe he didn't feel so bad after all. Flexing his tender arm, he chuckled dryly, yep the three-limit rule still seemed to be in effect; if he used that more than three times in a row his arm would be useless, but he always worried the number would change.

Climbing to his feet, feeling the warmth spread through his arm, he cracked his neck. "Ok, anything else wanna fuck with me? No? Good. I'm getting off this damn island."

* * *

Normally, Ino wasn't one to watch a sunset, but the girl had developed an appreciation for them thanks to Naruto. The sky overhead was beautiful with the blazing red melting slowly into the dark blue, and then black of night, the stars coming out to dance and shine. It definitely made her glad to have witnessed it, since today would prove very important.

She had an ANBU assignment, a patrol at eight, her fourth such assignment in the last week, which hinted to Ino that something would happen soon.

Something major.

Anko remained the bitch she normally was, telling Ino that it was just because the blond was expendable. Ino knew it to be a lie, but she expected as much from Anko. The antagonistic feelings they had buried were resurfacing. Naruto seemed to be at the heart of the matter, though Ino wasn't entirely sure why he would cause such friction between them.

Shaking her head, Ino stood and stretched, putting her blank mask on, musing about how much things had changed for her. As a child, all she'd been concerned about was which boy she would marry, and later if Sasuke would ever like her. Now she was almost Jōnin, nearly an ANBU, known as the Hitokiri who was undefeated in thirty Kenjutsu matches.

It all started because of her first sensei Hayate saying, "You are a Shinobi of Konoha; you do not have the luxury of running away!" Her first step toward growing up, had been accepting that responsibility. Shaking off her memories of childhood dreams, she turned and set off, heading away from the special spot Naruto had shown her and toward the meeting place where her team would be waiting.

Travelling rapidly over the rooftops, Ino mused about how easy it was to keep her status a secret in such a village. Well, her parents probably had a suspicion, but they were Jōnin, so it wasn't too surprising. The only thing that really bothered her was why Anko would tell Naruto. Revealing her status to him made no sense really. Even the Hokage had told Naruto that Anko was the ANBU Trainee Instructor.

Was it just because it was Naruto or because of his dream was to be Hokage? No, that was a rather idiotic reason. Maybe because they wanted Naruto to join ANBU? Ino landed on the rooftop, heart beating faster at such a thought. She and Naruto would be together, almost like back when they were Gennin.

_Plus_, Ino thought with a wicked grin as she set off once more, _ANBU have communal showers_. It would be easy for Ino to sneak a peek on Naruto and satisfy her final curiosity. He was strong. Ino knew that from their playful sparring match when he first returned. Stronger than her. He was a tad more mature and he apparently knew enough to be a teacher.

So really, _that_ was the last thing she had to be curious about.

Turning her mind, with all the lecherous thoughts it held, away from Naruto's body, she focused instead on his apprentice, a development that had sent minor shockwaves through the village. Hinata had seemed both relieved and horrified at the development, if only because of the state Hanabi had been in that first day.

Well, it served that cheating slut right. Choji deserved much better than Hinata. Who exactly, Ino would consider 'better', she had no clue and admittedly, her friendship with both Shikamaru and Choji was stretched. After all, Ino had been remiss in maintaining her friendships for a long time, too busy training and repairing her old friendship with Sakura. The pink-haired girl had been like a sister to her, one who had ultimately betrayed Konoha and Ino. Before now, Ino would have started ranting at that thought, she still smoldered in righteous fury at it, but Naruto had promised her that he would handle it.

That bitch Sakura and the bastard Sasuke had no clue what they had coming for them.

Spotting the meeting place, a covered bridge, Ino quickly made sure she had everything: scrolls, nutrition bars, the few kunai and shuriken she carried, and the borrowed ninja-to strapped to her back. Speeding up, the young kunoichi swung around to the left and then approached in plain view. Suddenly appearing among a bunch of elite ninja was not a healthy thing to do, after all.

Her eyes, aided by the filters on her mask, allowed her to detect the group of four waiting figures. One short. Their last were running late. Shrugging it off, she stepped onto the bridge. The gathered ANBU turned toward her, but said nothing even as they gave the brief nod of recognition that she had come to expect.

"I was worried I would be late." Ino said, tone professional.

"Ah, Kurohyou-san I presume?" Dog Mask said, obviously male from both tone and build, moving to greet her politely.

"Yes," Ino said, casually taking in the surrounding people and where they were in relation to her. "You're the captain?"

"Yeah, I'm Ginga," the man said, before introducing the other three. "That one in the Horse mask is Hideaki, the one in the Cat mask is Hotaru, and Rabbit mask over there is Senbotsu."

"Hi," Ino greeted, glancing from each one and then receiving three returned greetings, before she focused on the captain again. "Ginga-san, I suppose we have to wait for the fifth member?"

"Well, no, because she's here," Ginga said, and it took Ino a moment to realize that he meant her. She almost fell over. Before, she had always worked with five-man teams, as all Trainees did, and she couldn't begin to guess the implication behind this. "Anyway, now that were all present, I'll give the details of our mission. First, this is an A-rank mission, so if you're a Chūnin going for Jōnin, you got a lot of points coming your way."

Ino blinked, taken by the way Hiotaru and Senbotsu chuckled and the other two shifted impatiently at the knowledge. Huh, so she wasn't the only Chūnin here. That was reassuring.

"As for mission details, we'll be hunting two A-rank missing ninja, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasu–"

"What?!" Ino said aloud, startled, nervousness filling her. Thankfully, Ginga took it as surprise at the rank of who they would be hunting.

"We're just one of several teams going out in search of them," Ginga explained. "Apparently, they've turned traitor on Otogakure. Ideally, we'd like to capture them. Strictly speaking, our orders are to neutralize the threat by any means necessary."

"Right," Ino affirmed, mastering her emotions as they ricocheted around her skull like pin balls.

"We'll be making a sweep through Umi no Kuni, while two other teams go through Cha no Kuni and Nami no Kuni," Ginga continued, looking around. "This is important: I want you to remember that we could be facing the former apprentice of the Hokage who wields the Sharingan along with the former apprentice of a Sannin who is both a medical and Genjutsu expert. If we engage in combat and things go south, orders are to retreat and alert another team."

"So, no heroics?" Hideaki asked, a smirk in his tone.

"Exactly," Ginga said warily. "Remember, as ANBU, our top priority is to ensure that the job is done. If that means retreating to alert others, we do it. Our first and only job is the survival of the village and the country. At any cost."

"Right," Senbotsu said. "Besides, if they were to wipe us out there'd be no way to alert Uzumaki-san or anyone else they might otherwise send."

"Actually, considering that the only other notable name we have is Yamanaka-san, I think he's about all they would send." Hotaru said, her voice doing little to hide her snicker.

Ino's head turned sharply toward the other woman on the team, stung.

"Well, that's it for the briefing. Let's get going," Ginga said, wrapping up the breift, turning slightly as the others went ahead, then turned back to Ino. "Kurohyou-san, please don't take anything Hotaru says personally. She's jealous of any kunoichi that makes her look bad."

"Why would I take offense? She was talking about Yamanaka, not me," Ino lied, using her professional mask to keep from snapping.

"Yes, well, still...Oh, and," here Ginga lowered his tone, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but this is your graduation mission. You make it back alive, you're ANBU."

"I..." Ino froze, eyes widening behind her mask. Then, realizing she was the last one there, she hurried after the captain and her team, mind abuzz and heart racing.

* * *

Tsunade had no remaining illusions about taking Naruto lightly, not that she had consciously, but part of her always had considered him still a child. Now though, she didn't, not when he had seen Hanabi's condition and then glared at her. That look had told her, more than words ever could, that whether she had found her plant or not, the mission was over.

Tsunade didn't protest or argue. She had her Ippan-i, carefully packaged for her to research on the return to Konoha. Of course, Hanabi would no longer be a viable subject for her tests, as her body couldn't handle the damage the poisons would inflict. Instead, she had to find an alternate source, and the only one available would be Captain Daisuke. It was an advantageous setup, because it would ensure Naruto's preoccupation with piloting the ship back, something the medic felt confident he could accomplish after his travels with Jiraiya. That would make it easier for her to proceed with her experiments and find the proper part of the plant; undoubtedly, Naruto would protest her use of an innocent person as a guinea pig.

Checking the horizon once more, and then glancing at Naruto who was at the helm alone, she let out a heavy breath and went below deck.

The passageway led to a moderately-sized hallway, with doors leading to three cabins. One belong to Naruto, now commandeered for Hanabi as she recovered, the other to Daisuke and the last a tiny hold for spare food and water. Passing the first two, she entered the hold, the smell of preserved food and the sound of creaking boards almost hypnotic, but Tsunade had other things on her mind.

Moving across the room, she came to one of the many posts and began running her hand over it before finding the knot of wood. Pressing against it tripped the lock and the secret compartment popped open, allowing the legendary medic to retrieve and carefully unwrap the bundle hidden within. The two glass vials gleamed in the oil lamp overhead, one empty and the other filled with a green liquid. Selecting the second vial and slipping it into her cleavage, a handy hiding place for her, she put the bundle back and picked up the pouch containing her Ippan-i. Leaving the hold, she moved to Daisuke's cabin and entered, crossing the low-beamed room with a slight stoop. The hanging oil lantern over his head cast ominous shadows across his pallid face, and the timbers creaked and moaned as if in pain.

Daisuke lay flat on his back in his bunk, half-conscious, skin reddish and splotched. He didn't even react to her entrance, not that Tsunade expected him to. After the poison she had slipped him, she'd have been surprised if he did more than blink. Sitting her bundled herb along with her tools down at the fixed desk, she began a medical jutsu to check his general physical state.

"Decreased breathing and heartbeat, chakra in the meridians at a critical ebb, extreme lack of oxygen in the blood," Tsunade murmured, then used her other hand to open his eyes and mouth. "Pupils dilated, dry eyes and mouth. Estimated time to death...not long."

Satisfied that the poison was in full effect, the legendary medic returned to the desk and unwrapped her bundle, mind wrestling with how to start. Normally, you combined ingredients, one to guide and the other to heal, but she could use her chakra to substitute for the guiding herb. Her biggest problem would be what part of the plant to use. The roots would be best bet she supposed.

"I'll have to use water," Tsunade murmured, before her attention truly focused on the plant before her. The leaves had turned brown and the body black. She blinked, wondering if she were seeing things. Using her scalpel, she sliced the Ippan-i, blanching as a foul stench hit her, causing her to drop the blade and stare through forming tears.

What happened? This wasn't what she had grabbed, what she had been so careful to recover from that island. They hadn't even been at sea for a full day, so it couldn't have gone bad already, that would be impossible. Grabbing the plant, she squeezed, releasing even more of that noxious odor. Turning, she hurled the remains against the side of the cabin.

No, no, no....

Tsunade stumbled, tripped and fell back against the wall, sliding down until she came to a stop on the floor. Her tears came in silence, her brown eyes furious, staring at her eternal enemy death and nothing else. She'd sacrificed her only chance at saving Jiraiya by saving Hanabi. She'd been manipulated by the Shinigami, cheated of her victory.

"No," Tsunade whispered fiercely, her mind turning dark. She would not give up this easily. If she could not use the Ippan-i, then she would do as others had before her: She would turn to the forbidden. For this victory, for his life, she would break every oath she had ever taken to every deity that had ever existed. She would enter medical kinjutsu.

Suddenly death wasn't laughing: It was afraid, very afraid.

Tsunade felt sure of it.


	12. Chapter 10: Tears of the Innocent

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Volume 2: War Drums  
Chapter 10:  
-_Tears of the Innocent_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

__

September fifteenth....

Naruto sat, much like he had for the last hour, hidden in the branches of a tree overlooking the small village where he and Hanabi's latest C-rank mission was situated. Oikomi was in Region Five of Hi no Kuni, and controlled by Governor Justo, who had apparently hidden a document concerning Governor Fuwa and the head of the Hi no Kuni ninja. Naruto and Hanabi's mission was simply to sneak in, recover the document from the unassuming village and replace it with a fake. They were then, unsurprisingly, ordered to deliver said document to Konoha.

Now, the reason Naruto was sitting in the branch watching instead of doing the leg work, was because his student Hanabi had asked to try it solo. After half a month of nothing but C-rank missions of varying degrees of difficulty, in which Hanabi's skills had steadily improved, Naruto had agreed. He felt reasonably sure she could handle it; her taijutsu was frighteningly good, her chakra had increased sharply and her control was beyond precise.

Add in her Ninjutsu that, though limited in number, she had mastered. Hanabi knew and actively used Bunshin no Jutsu, Kawarimi no Jutsu, Konpasu no Jutsu, Henge no Jutsu, Meisai Gakure no Jutsu and her most recently learned: Kanashibari no Jutsu. So yes, Naruto could sit back and have ramen while waiting for her to complete the mission.

Hed even considered the possibility of speaking with the Hokage about trying a B-rank mission if she pulled this off successfully. Besides Hanabi's skills, they had something else in favor of a B-rank mission assignment; the glowing recommendation that Tsuande had given the Hokage shortly upon their return a month ago. She had even claimed to have low-balled the mission on purpose because she wanted Naruto specifically, which made Naruto idly wonder about her motives.

Still, he didn't really see a problem because it worked in their favor and it wasn't like he had anything better to do, especially with Ino on an extended Practical ANBU Exam, the details of which nobody was sharing with him. When he had asked Anko, the older woman had frowned slightly and explained that she was under orders to keep her mouth shut. Naruto found it frustrating to no end, his curious nature rearing its ugly head, and he was tempted to sneak into the ANBU headquarters to unearth the details.

He didn't however, because he knew that even for him, it would be a very foolish thing to do. Naruto wasn't even entirely sure he could pull it off. ANBU were elite ninja, and Naruto did not relish the concept of trying to fight them if he was caught. Knowing his luck, if he was caught, Ibiki would spend the rest of his days torturing him; not to mention Ino would likely join the fun and Anko wouldn't waste a minute flaying him alive and pouring salt in the wounds.

Looking up from his ramen, Narutos eyes darted along the street. For a moment, he had felt a flare of chakra. It had been brief and definitely not Hanabi's chakra, but it was gone now. It set his nerves on edge, after all they were the only ninja in the area, not even those stupid Hi no Kuni ninja were present so he wasn't sure what to make of that chakra flare.

Strange.

"Uzumaki-san," a voice said from his right.

Naruto froze, before turning his head slowly to see who had addressed him. The figure was draped in a black cloak and wearing a cat mask.

"And you are?"

"Who I am," the figure said, "is not important. I am here only to relay an important message at the request of the Hokage."

"Uh huh," Naruto said slowly, feeling another flare of chakra from above. "So that's why he had to send two of you?"

"Very good," the masked figure said casually. "However, he is not here for this. Our mission merely brought us into the area and I was asked to deliver the message."

"Right," Naruto said, raising an eyebrow. "So, what's the message?"

"This message comes from Jiraiya-sama, by way of Hokage," the ANBU said. "The clouds of red are moving."

Naruto kept his face impassive, staring at the man expectantly, knowing the ANBU was trying to read his reaction. He was not going to reveal the significance of that message. Akatsuki was on the move. Naruto had expected it to happen eventually, but that didn't make him feel any better.

"Well?" Naruto finally asked after a few more minutes, a note of impatience in his tone.

"That was it," Cat Mask said sourly and, without a parting word, departed along with the ANBU overhead. Naruto waited another minute to ensure that they really were gone, then setting his ramen aside and bit his thumb, speeding through the boar, dog, bird, monkey and sheep hand seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Slamming his hand down on the branch a circle of black lines and a puff of smoke appeared. When the smoke cleared, he was greeted with a small green and blue frog that looked up at him impatiently.

"You called?"

Naruto ignored him and flashed through the seals once more before smacking his hand against the branch one last time. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

This time the smoke cleared to reveal a medium-sized, white goose, which dipped its neck slightly as if bowing. "Naruto-sama, you summoned me?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, addressing both, before looking at the toad. "Pyonpyon, I need you to find Ero-sennin and confirm the message, The clouds of red are moving.

"Right," the toad said, its impatience replaced by a note of understanding, before it took off at top speed.

Turning back, Naruto addressed the bird, "Gami, I want you to scout around, not too far away, and let me know if you see anything suspicious."

"Of course, Naruto-sama," the bird said with another slight bow before taking flight.

Nodding, Naruto picked up his ramen and sighed. That odd summoning contract from Yuki no Kuni was finally coming in handy. He hadn't summoned the boss of that scroll just yet, but the lesser one's were useful. Hell of a lot more respectful than the Toads, too. Oddly Naruto was the only one that could actually summon the damn birds, though nobody, not even Ero-sennin, knew why.

A few moments later, he felt the subtle chakra of Hanabi rushing toward him. The girl landed nimbly on the branch above him, using chakra to cushion her landing and help keep the branch from moving. Looking up, Naruto grinned as the girl faded into view: She was getting damn good at the Meisai Gakure. "How was it?"

"It was...fun," Hanabi said after a moment, smiling slightly. "None of the local samurai even noticed me."

"So, mission accomplished?" Naruto asked pointlessly, grinning wider.

"Yes, mission accomplished," Hanabi agreed with a slight nod.

"Great," Naruto said, getting to his feet. "Let's get back to Konoha and, to celebrate, I'll buy you dinner."

"Please, no more ramen, Sensei," Hanabi pleaded as they took off through the forest.

"Ouch, that hurts, Tsuru," Naruto mocked, clutching his heart playfully. "My own student doesn't understand the joys of ramen! Oh, where have I gone wrong?"

"Perhaps it was when you treated me to that binge of Ramen a week ago," Hanabi offered archly.

"Bah, you just don't have any taste," Naruto snorted dismissively before sighing. "But I suppose you do deserve to pick. After all, you performed a C-rank mission solo. Not many Genin can do that, you know, which means I'm a more awesomer Sensei than I thought!"

"'Awesomer' is not a word," Hanabi said before smiling at him, "and I would like to eat at Hanaebeni."

"Fine, fine," Naruto said, smiling at her in return, "but youre buying my sake."

Hanabi tried to hide her pout, but Naruto saw it and laughed.

* * *

Jiraiya was disgruntled.

The reasons were quite numerous. For one, the latest Icha Icha, which Naruto had written, was actually outselling previous copies. Not only that, but it was getting rave reviews from people that normally banned the series. Second, he'd been looking for the mystery girl from the hot springs, but nobody knew of her. Third, he had been happily researching in the tiny village of Dogeza about a week ago, when he had received word that Akatsuki was on the move.

There were no specifics, just an ominous warning that they were moving. He had returned to Konoha to warn his student, knowing that Naruto would be too absorbed in missions and the Hokage would be able to contact him faster than a toad would. After that, he had set out to enjoy his brief visit and to discuss the latest developments with those concerned. He had also figured that he could do some research and see if maybe, by chance, that mystery girl had returned.

This brought him ultimately to the fourth, and greatest, reason for his disgruntled nature. He hadn't even been in the village for two hours before he received a message from Tsunade, ordering Jiraiya to her apartment. Being the rightfully fearful man that he was, for a Tsunade scorned was a Tsunade seeking to rip your head from your body, he had resigned himself to going there; but he was still disgruntled about it.

Reaching her apartment building, in one of the more upscale areas of Konoha, he sighed. At least he'd have another chance to peer into her Valley of the Gods before passing on. Thankfully, she was on the first floor, as Tsunade had never been a fan of heights, and he didn't have to waste the energy climbing stairs.

A polite knock was greeted with silence, as was the second and then the third. Frowning, the toad summoner began banging on her door, rattling the wood in its frame. After twenty minutes of this, he snarled, ready to Rasengan the damn door off its hinges, but he gave it one last heavy thwack before shouting through the wood barrier to the lone occupant, "Damnit woman, either answer the damn door or I'm leaving!"

"Hold your horses!" Tsunades voice finally called back a tad crabbily, which Jiriaya supposed indicated that she had been napping. A moment later, the door opened, revealing Tsunade with her hair free from her standard ponytails. She was dressed in her deep, V-neck tunic that, as always, drew his attention toward her barely contained breasts.

"'Bout time," Jiriaya said, though a lot of his ire disappeared now that he had the chance to ogle her bountiful bosoms. The Kami had truly outdone themselves when forming such bountiful delights!

"Yea, yea," Tsunade said, turning to lead him into the apartment where a table sat along with a bottle of sake and a cup. "Just be glad I wanted you here. I normally hospitalize guys that turn up on my doorstep."

"No wonder youre single," Jiriaya muttered, swooping forward to steal her bottle of sake and taking a long gulp. "So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Something important," Tsunade said, retrieving a fresh bottle of her own before sitting down at the table. "You know, if you keep drinking right from the bottle, you'll give yourself liver damage."

"Like that matters Tsu-chan," Jiraiya said, using his old nickname for her that he knew she hated. "I'm dying. Remember?"

"Which is what I wanted to talk about," the buxom Sannin said, quaffing her sake easily, a tiny smirk on her lips. "I've been doing research; I had a big break through when I went on a trip recently, with that student of yours and his apprentice."

"Naruto has an apprentice?" Jiriaya asked, mildly surprised. He should have checked in more often. Shrugging, he took another deep gulp from the bottle, wondering why it tasted sweeter than normal.

"Yeah, but I think you'd be more interested in where we went," Tsunade said, drinking another cup of sake, her grin growing. "We went to Tsuki no Kuni, you know, this island faaaaaar on the other side of the ocean?"

"Tsuki no..." Jiriaya paused, lowering the now empty sake bottle to stare at her. "You were the girl in the baths!"

"You're just now figuring that out?" Tsuande asked with a smirk, sipping at her sake. "Anyway, we found this plant there and it wasn't really useful for a cure. However, I did figure out a way to replicate the essence of it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Simple," Tsunade said with a smug smirk as she set her sake down and stood, approaching him. "I made a supplement. Its not quite as effective as the real thing, but," pausing, she lifted a glowing hand and put it against his chest, her grin turning into an outright smile, "it slows the effect of Fatal Chakra Poisoning to a halt."

"What did you do?" Jiraiya asked, shocked, knowing perfectly well what she had done. He had been resigned to his death, prepared for it and ready to leave this world in the hands of his student. He'd also done and said a few things he might have thought twice about if he had known he'd still be alive in a year. "I don't believe this! It was my time! I was comfortable! Why the hell did you think you had the right to change that?!"

"Because," Tsuande said roughly, shoving him back into a nearby wall and pinning him there effortlessly. "One, I'm a medic and I can't accept death, especially the deaths of my important people. Two, because I am selfish and stubborn bitch. Three, because I wanted to."

"Well, don't expect me to thank you!" Jiriaya shouted back, surprised to hear that she consider him one of her important people, but he was still pissed at her and the righteous tone she had taken.

"I don't," Tsunade snarled, eyes darkening in anger, "but you better keep this in mind: As of now, I own your ass."

"You don't own my-" Her hand pushed forward, making him choke, and Jiraiya settled for glaring at her. Tsuande was drunk and her temper generally got worse the drunker she got. He could save arguing the point of her owning his ass for tomorrow after she sobered up; at least, if he could keep from blowing up on her. She had no right to do this to him!

"Now, just so we're clear," Tsunade whispered, glaring at him dangerously. "I own your ass. I say jump, you ask how high _while_ you're jumping. I tell you to burn your books, you burn them with a smile on your face."

"WHAT?! Woman, are you crazy!?" Jiriaya shouted in disbelief, preparing to knock her arm away and have this out now.

Tsunade silenced such violent thoughts. The legendary slug tamer mashed her mouth against his in a kiss that did nothing to hide her passion and only channeled her demanding nature.

Breaking it, she stared at him like a wolf about to kill a rabbit. "Now, you think about **that** when I say I own your ass."

"O-okay," Jiriaya stammered, eyes wide and stunned, mind hazy.

"Good," Tsunade said decisively, nodding. "Now then, lets get to work, slave. I've been celibate for forty some odd years and you're going to take care of that, or do you object?"

"N-no, not at all..." Jiriaya stutter in a bewildered haze.

"By the way," Tsunade said, releasing him to lead the way to her bedroom, hips swaying suggestively. Pausing, she turned back to give him a look that threatened to give him a coronary as his blood rushed south, "you call me Tsunade-_sama_ from now on."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama!"

* * *

The Godaime sighed, reclining in his chair, hands toying absently with the edge of his white and red hat. It was one of those rare moments that he was both free from paperwork and not reading his precious. The reason, of course, was because today was not the day for such enjoyable reading.

He had just received word from his Unity spy that Tenzou was a Unity member. Not only that, he was slowly but surely converting other ANBU to the same cause. This meant that, of his Elite ninja, he could only trust forty percent of them, and less with the passing of each day.

Unity was no longer isolated either. It was burgeoning among the Jōnin and Chūnin, compromising the bulk of the forces in Konoha. Maybe it was time to enact an idea he had the first year in office, to form a new group. One that could perform the missions he needed done in secret, such as the one on his desk at the moment. With the ANBU compromised, he couldn't risk moving the ones he did trust from their current assignments.

A group of twenty four-man teams would be best. He could call it the Niju Shōtai. At the very least, it would pull the core of his forces together in secret. With the Niju Shōtai, along with the aid of the Nara and Hyūga Clans that he knew beyond a doubt would remain loyal to him; he could tip the scales when Unity made its move.

Nodding, he silently turned his attention to the two mission scrolls on his desk, one of which was in preparation for Naruto's arrival. After a month of nothing but C-rank missions, the Godaime was reasonably sure Hanabi could handle a low level B-rank mission. Hence, he had left word in the mission hall for Naruto to see him after reporting in.

Naruto would be a prime candidate and, it appeared, the first he would be approaching.

He came out of his thoughts at the respectful knock at his office door and looked up, raising an eyebrow as he sat his hat aside. "Come on in." The door opened allowing an unassuming and nervous looking Chūnin to enter. On guard, because the person was too unassuming, the Hokage focused his gaze on the man intently. "Yes?"

"Reports, Hokage-sama," the young man said, offering a small stack of papers. "I was sent up from the Mission Hall."

"Ah," the Godaime said, eye curving up happily before pointing at a Kage Bunshin. "Leave them with him."

"Yes sir," the Chūnin said, handing the papers over and leaving the room with a quick bow. The Kage Bunshin checked the scrolls for anything suspicious, then sat them on the corner of his desk and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sighing, the Hokage shook his head, rubbing the side of his face absently, regretting that he had to be so paranoid.

A moment later, Naruto entered, a tad less energetically than normal, but he still grinned before plopping into a chair before his desk. "Oi, you wanted to see me?"

"Yep," the Hokage beamed, sitting forward to lace his fingers together and rest his elbows on the desk. "So, after a month of nothing but C-rank missions, how's Hanabi doing?"

"Great," Naruto said happily. "Last one she even managed solo. I watched, but it was all her and she did it beautifully."

"Great to hear!" the Godaime said, nodding. "I take it you left the document downstairs?"

"Hell no," Naruto said, shaking his head while patting his jacket. "A mission dealing with that Fuwa bastard and Hi no Kuni ninja? No, I think I'd rather not risk this information falling into the wrong hands."

"My, my when did you get so paranoid?" the Hokage asked with a chuckle, before accepting the document from Naruto.

"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean there aren't people willing to kill me," Naruto said dryly while smirking.

Kakashi blinked, and then beamed at the younger man, his heart genjutsu appearing behind his head. Naruto had hit the nail on the head with that, and Kakashi resolved not to feel sad for being paranoid again. "That actually brings us to something important I wanted to discuss."

"Aha, but before that I thought I'd bug you about getting a B-rank mission," Naruto said quickly, grinning mischievously. "I think Hanabi's ready for one."

"I figured as much," Kakashi said, gesturing at one of the two scrolls, "so I went ahead and reserved you a B-rank mission, which I'll assign you later."

"Great! Naruo said enthusiastically, before his smile slipped slightly. "Wait. Why later?"

"That's what I wanted to talk with you about," Kakashi said, leaning back. "You know, of course, about Unity and how invasive they are becoming."

"Eh, well yeah," Naruto said with a scowl. "Sorta. Haven't heard from them yet, actually."

"Probably waiting for the most opportune time. Still, they're out there and I want to counter them. Or at least start to counter them by forming a new group of my most trusted regular ninja available," the Godaime said, eye falling from its happy curve to a serious expression. "I'm calling it the Niju Shōtai. For now, they'll be kept secret, but I need people I can trust with select missions."

"So, you want me to join?" Naruto asked shrewdly, his face equally serious.

"Yes, above anyone else, you fit that description exactly," Kakashi said honestly. "I know that I can trust you and there are only four other people I can say that about. I'm not the most trusting person, which means the recruitment will be up to the five of you. If you join."

"Oi, of course I'll do it," Naruto said firmly, sounding almost hurt that Kakashi would think otherwise. "I may not be Hokage yet, but I'm still going to do my damndest to protect this village."

"Good. I assume you'll be recruiting Ino and Hanabi?"

"Well yeah, why not?" Naruto asked, blinking.

"Oh, no, I'm not against it. I was just checking because they are on my semi-trust list," the Godaime explained before picking up a scroll and holding it out to Naruto. "Now, first things first. This is your initial mission as part of the Niju Shōtai, though you can refuse it if you feel you need to."

"Well, what exactly is the mission?"

"Assassination," Kakashi said as he handed the scroll over, "probably the hardest type you'll ever have to perform. However, it can't be helped. The target is Governor Shingen's relative and has a photographic memory."

"Eh, so what's that got to do with the price of rice in Hi no Kuni?" Naruto asked absently as he opened the scroll to read the mission details. His eyes went wide, face paling as he looked up sharply. "You really want me to...this..."

"I won't make you," Kakashi said reassuringly, "but it is time sensitive and, as you can see, the reason is because they accidentally saw certain key ANBU without their masks and heard them using their real names."

"This, though...its..."

"As I told you before, Naruto, you don't _have_ to take this mission," the Hokage explained, tone flat and all business. "Using an ANBU, including one I trust, would be risky considering the state of the group. This mission, for very obvious reasons, can never officially exist."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, turning his attention back to the scroll he was holding, studying the details.

"If you do accept the mission, you must not be caught or ever tied to it. It has to appear as an accident, natural or otherwise, but it _cannot_ appear as an assassination," Kakashi added, then fell silent, studying the boy. Naruto was obviously struggling with his conscience, reminding Kakashi of himself when he had first been assigned such a mission.

"She's only a child," Naruto finally said, looking up at him, silently asking for advice.

"If it were up to me, as Hatake Kakashi, I would tell you to leave it for someone else." Kakashi paused, closing his eye. "As the Godaime Hokage, however, I have to remind you that there is no one else available for this and won't be for some time."

"I" Naruto hesitated, before sighing in resignation. "I'll do it. I won't fucking like it, but I'll do it."

"Thank you," Kakashi said sadly, opening his eye and patting the remaining scroll on his desk. "When you come back, I'll arrange the B-rank mission and make sure to include Ino as part of the assigned team."

"Okay," Naruto said, resealing the scroll and putting it into his jacket. "Oi, what about the Daimyo?"

"He has the Juuni Fukei," Kakashi said, "along with an elite personal samurai corps. For the moment, we're focusing internally to stop this at the source."

"If you say so," Naruto said dubiously, before sighing. "Alright, Hanabi and I will be back in a day or two from this vacation for that B-rank mission."

"Good," the Godaime said, allowing Naruto that small concession, because leaving her behind would be noticeable. When Naruto reached the office door he spoke one last time, "I really appreciate this Naruto."

"No worries, Hokage-sama," Naruto tossed back without looking, his final words drifting back through the closing door. "I'm a ninja. Its what I do."

* * *

Letting out a contented sigh, Hanabi left the inn's communal bathing area, enjoying the feel of the bathrobe against her skin. With so many C-rank missions and Naruto giving her all the money from them, claiming he had enough money, Hanabi was learning how to pamper herself again. Drying her damp hair with a towel as she moved toward her room, Hanabi mulled over about how interesting things were becoming for her lately.

She was becoming very skilled as a ninja, and her pride was slowly being restored. Not even twenty-four hours ago, she had performed a C-rank mission solo. Two month ago, she wasn't even able to perform a D-rank mission with a team without messing up. Entering her room, Hanabi wondered what her previous team and sensei would think of her now.

Dressing silently, pulling on a long-sleeved white shirt before her black sleeveless shirt, Hanabi mused about how odd it was that at one point she had loathed the uniform. She now had normal clothes for her everyday wear around town, but she had stuck with her original uniform. Hanabi had grown attached to it, much the way Naruto had apparently grown attached to his own outfit.

Smiling slightly as she brushed her hair, the younger girl looked around her room once more, warmed to see all of her possessions shed once feared gone forever. Naruto had kept his word, and once they had returned from Tsuki no Kuni he had given every item to her. This place was really beginning to feel like home, in a manner of speaking. Hanabi could still remember when she had been Hyūga, but the longing that had once been attached to that had faded. Her own name, Hanabi, was a proud name, and she felt vindictive satisfaction in that. Slowly but surely, she was showing that she was more than they had believed her to be.

Tying her forehead protector into place and adjusting it, then retrieving her weapons pouch, she left the warm, simple room. Stepping out into the streets, Hanabi took a deep breath, the air tasting strangely sweet, and then set out in search of fresh, delicious Uirō. Entering the small shop, Hanabi smiled kindly at the older man behind the counter and approached the large glass case displaying the numerous sweets.

Stopping, she looked up at the middle-aged man who beamed down at her.

"Hanabi-chan, I didn't know you were back." Standing, he went about gathering her favorite confection. "I'm guessing you want your usual?"

"Endo-san," Hanabi returned politely, placing her money on the counter, already knowing the amount. "We returned late last night. The last mission was quite challenging."

"Ah, well, I'm sure between you and Uzumaki-san things were easily handled," Endo said, fussing about behind the counter with wrapping her Uirō for the day.

"Actually, Naruto-sensei merely observed. I performed the mission without his aide," Hanabi said, taking the wrapped sweets as well as the one she would eat on her way to her teams meeting place.

"Really? You are becoming a strong ninja," Endo said brightly. "I wish my daughter had your kind of dedication."

"I am sure she will find her dedication once something properly catches her attention," Hanabi said politely, while mental feeling sorry for the man. His daughter was a rather spoiled child, so the chances of her developing dedication were not likely.

Bowing politely, Hanabi left the shop and savored the Uirō, feeling that all was right in the world. By the time she finished her treat, they would have a mission, hopefully one that was higher than C-rank, as Naruto had promised. Her good mood evaporated upon finding her way barred by a group of Hyūga children.

Branch Family.

They froze upon seeing her, tension humming in the air. Hanabi considered the situation, and decided to apply the psychological approach passed down from her senseis sensei to her. In other words, Hanabi gave them a bright and disturbing smile. "Hi!"

The group shifted, as if uncertain about what to make of her. Then boy that was obviously the ring leader spoke up snidely, "Move aside, kaingiin."

Hanabi blinked innocently, her tone so sweet that it was an obviously prelude to violence, "Excuse me, but do you mean me?"

"Who else would I be addressing?"

"Oh," Hanabi said, and then paused as if thinking, her smile not changing. "I think I'll kill all of you."

"E-excuse me?" the leader said, obviously uncertain about her tone.

"I'm going to kill all of you," Hanabi said simply, her limited killing intent flooding their senses. "I have a few minutes to spare before my training with Naruto-sensei."

"Kibaku-san, perhaps we should-"

"Uh huh," Hanabi said, wagging a finger at them. "Too late for that now, Happa-san. So, who should I kill first? Any volunteers?"

"Kibaku-san," a new, deeper voice said from a side street, "I believe you were given orders to report to me, not to provoke random ninja and put your lives in needless danger."

"N-Neji-sama?" Kibaku stammered, eyes widening as the current Main Branch Heir and the head of the Konoha Military Police, stepped into view, "we were just..."

"You were just delaying a ninja, a student of Uzumaki-san no less, from a meeting where she could potentially have a mission," Neji said forcefully. "I should allow her to kill you for your presumed arrogance."

"I-I'm sorry."

"Yes, I know. All of you report to Military Police Headquarters and await me there," Neji said, and with a sharp nod silently sent them on their way. He watched them for a moment, then turned glaring at Hanabi. "If you threaten a Hyūga again, I will speak with your sensei and the Hokage."

"I'm sorry," Hanabi said, her old imperious tone reappearing, "but Neji-kōhai, I saw no Hyūga, only mindless rabble, further guided by a presumptuous upstart that is turning into the very type of heir the Branch Family hates."

"Go to your team meeting," Neji said curtly, eyes narrowing slightly. "Hyūga are not your concern, jukeisha."

"Very well," Hanabi relented, smiling. "Before I go, I wish to quote my sensei: Fuck you."

That said, she calmly walked past the boy and continued on her way. Outwardly she was smiling and calm, but inwardly she was raging and hurt. This confrontation had only served to remind her just how much things had really changed for her.

At one point she would have been proudly walking the streets of Konoha, with those Hyūga that had confronted her serving as unneeded guards. She would be Hyūga Hanabi, pride of the Main Family and treated with respect by everyone. Instead, she was the girl whose bloodline was sealed, known by her former family simply as 'jukeisha' and treated with contempt.

Hanabi shook her head, reminding herself that was only among the Hyūga. To others she was Hanabi, to Konohamaru she was Hanabi-chan and to Naruto she was Tsuru. While she was not respected by everyone, there were a few that did respect her and she treasured that respect because she had earned it.

Yes, she felt a sense of loss, but weighed against the respect she had earned it did not cut her as deeply. Especially Narutos respect, his above everyone elses, made her feel a sense of warmth. Entering the isolated training area, Hanabi blinked, finding Naruto crouched before a post concentrating on his fingers completely.

"Naruto-sensei?" Hanabi asked, coming to a stop just short of him, though he did not look up at her entrance.

"Excuse me, Naruto-sensei," Hanabi tried again and then seeing his continued ignorance of her, huffed in annoyance. He knew she was there, but obviously ignoring her, which made Hanabi's eye tic in annoyance. "SENSEI!"

"Ssh," Naruto said, not looking up from his fingers as they wiggled through some complex pattern. "I've almost got it."

"You have almost got what?" Hanabi asked, exasperated.

"Watch closely," Naruto said seriously, finally glancing up at her. "What I'm about to show you isn't for everyone."

Taken back, Hanabi nodded and watched intently as he began rapidly forming a string of hand seals before suddenly spreading his hands before him, a length of zigzagging string wrapped around his fingers.

"Tada!"

"Sensei!"

"What, it's the bridge!" Naruto chirped ecstatically, oblivious to Hanabi's ire.

"Naruto-sensei, I have come to a conclusion," Hanabi finally said after a moment. Seeing she had his attention, she smiled sweetly. "You are a fucking nut job."

"Horrors of horrors, sweet little Hanabi is cursing!" Naruto said in mock shock before ruffling her hair and holding up a mission scroll. "Okay, enough goofing around. I got us a nice, juicy-"

"Do not tell me you have another C-rank mission," Hanabi said tiredly, glowering at the blond.

"Nope!" Naruto said, smiling in that fox like way he had. "A-rank, actually."

"E-excuse me?" Hanabi murmured, blinking. "It sounded like you just said we had an A-rank mission."

"Yep!" Naruto confirmed with a nod. "Assassination, so it'll be pretty easy, all things considered. Might be a few Hi no Kuni ninja around. Nothing to worry about."

"N-Naruto-sensei, I am unsure if I am entirely ready for such a mission," Hanabi said, shocked, mind racing a mile a minute. A-rank? Already? What happened to his reassurances that he'd get them a low difficulty B-rank mission?

"Relax Tsuru-chan," Naruto said, chuckling. "I'll be doing the dirty work. You're just going along for a bit of extra training. This is a top priority mission, so its gotta be done before we get to that B-rank mission."

"So, I will not be required to actively participate in this mission?"

"Nah," Naruto said, shaking his head. "Pretty much, I'll stick you outside of the village and let you train on a technique I'll show you later. It might take a day or two, but I think by now you should be able to handle yourself in the wild, especially in Hi no Kuni."

Hanabi breathed easier and nodded in agreement. It wasn't that she had been worried about finally killing. Hanabi believed she would be able to do that without any undo problem when the time came. The problem was that she did not want to fail. Because, if she failed, then Naruto would fail and Konoha would suffer, which meant her pride as a Shinobi would be tarnished and any acknowledgement she had gained from her fellow ninja would be dimmed.

Mostly, though, it was because of Naruto. Hanabi felt quite clearly that she did not want to disappoint him in such a fashion. After all, he had been the first one to acknowledge her as a true ninja. He had seen her talent, had helped her and guided her along the path that she was walking, and watched out for her more than he had needed to. Hanabi understood that, despite how utterly insane he was, Naruto was the closest thing she'd had to a family in a long time.

Disappoint him? Not if she could ever help it.

* * *

Ino yawned slightly behind her ANBU mask, wincing to herself at the soft pop of her jaw. Nobody else seemed to notice, so she focused her weary gaze back on her surroundings, glancing only briefly at her three remaining teammates. Senbotsu was moving stoically ahead of her, but as a narcoleptic he could have been sleep walking.

The mission had been a bust, with not even a hint of Sakura or Sasukes whereabouts. Not that it had been completely uneventful; apparently Sound had been looking for the two as well, but had decided to ambush her team. It had been on Taro Island about a week into the mission, and as ambushes went it was well thought out. Ino's team had been caught in a small pass, where Ginga had died in the initial attack.

Thankfully, the Oto ninja had sprung the trap too hastily and the remaining ANBU had slaughtered them. The sole remaining Oto Chūnin had spilled his guts about their mission before Hotaru had slit his throat. The last three weeks had gone by without any sign of either Oto, Kiri or the two missing-ninja.

Senbotsu had taken nominal command of the mission, appointing Hideaki as the point man and Hotaru as rear guard, while Ino was stuck walking slightly behind and to the right. After a _very_ thorough sweep of Umi no Kuni and its various islands, it had been decided that they would head back to Konoha, though they were making one last sweep as they went. Hence, they were searching Jira Island before taking a ship back to Hi no Kuni. Ino had long since decided that Umi no Kuni was little more than a resort country: There was no strategic value to the island. Even the gold shipments it made to Mizu no Kuni were nothing really special; Nami no Kuni now paid Hi no Kuni just as much for protection.

Absently, Ino mused that when she finally got a boyfriend they could take a vacation here. Of course, to get a boyfriend, she would have to substantially lower her standards. Or, the voice in the back of her mind said slyly, you could nab Naruto. Ino banished that thought. A crush and the occasional erotic dream were one thing, but to actually _date_ Naruto was something else.

He was insane, he was loud and obnoxious. Had she mentioned insane? He was often in opposition of everything a ninja should be. He was not what an ANBU should or would look for in terms of a potential significant other. No, Ino was certain that Naruto would remain that guilty fantasy lover that all women had and she was going to resist the temptation to make it otherwise.

"Kurohyou," Senbotsu said softly from ahead and Ino snapped her attention back to the world around her.

"Yes?"

"I noticed that during the ambush you killed a ninja just by looking at them," Senbotsu continued just a softly and Ino realized he was making an effort to keep the others from overhearing them.

"What about it?" Ino asked quietly.

"It was a variation of the Kanashibari no Jutsu, wasn't it?"

"It could have been, why?" Ino asked suspiciously, wondering why he had waited this long before mentioning it.

"I also noticed that one of the attackers stood perfectly still, while you ran right at him and cut him down," Senbotsu said, this time glancing at her. "That was Shuushuku Kitei no Jutsu."

Ino felt her eyes widen before narrowing at the man just ahead of her, wondering how he knew about that technique. She had never revealed its name, and she had only used it once or twice while in the program and never on an actual ANBU Mission. Senbotsu turned away after a moment, checking on the others before looking at her again.

"I know a friend that could use a friend like you. If you wanted friends, we can be very good friends," the man paused, his tone friendly. "If you don't, then that's okay, too."

"Who is 'we'?" Ino inquired, though she already had a shrewd idea of the implication. The Hokage had warned her about Unity, and that they would probably approach her. They hadn't until this moment and the timing seemed perfect in hindsight: An ANBU trainee on a graduation mission would be the perfect target eager to please, ensuring their advancement and acceptance upon returning.

"We prefer to stay nameless," Senbotsu explained, "but we all have the same aim Unity. As it is now, the system is broken. We have a greedy Daimyo who wants to limit our power. Just look at the state of Konoha now. The Hokage is trying, but he's bound by too many restrictions. This is why the Uchiha Clan was slaughtered by Itachi _and_ why Uzumaki-san was allowed to go away with that doddering old fool Jiraiya."

"But Jiraiya is a Sannin," Ino countered mildly, wondering what to do.

"Oh, at one point he was powerful and an excellent teacher. Look at the Yondaime and, yes, even Uzumaki, but he could have been even stronger if he had stayed in Konoha for proper instruction. Jiraiya is well out of his prime and steadily going downhill; though, honestly, it wasn't the Hokage's fault. He had no choice, but he could avoid future mistakes without so many restrictions on his power."

"So you want less restriction on the Hokage's authority?" Ino asked, pretending to be at least thoughtful. "How could you accomplish that? Besides, isn't the Hokage already in complete command of Konoha?"

"We want to grant the Hokage total command, in both Konoha and over all of Hi no Kuni. As for how, some things must be kept secret for the moment," Senbotsu said, turning back to check on the others. "As for 'complete command? No. The Council continuously restrains him with traditionalistic and outdated ideals. Even the Clans cause problems within Konoha, ensuring that he can do very little."

"I see," Ino said, falling silent for a moment, before continuing softly, "If I accepted you as friends, what would you need for me to do?"

Senbotsu came to a sudden stop and raised his voice. "Form up."

Ino felt a moment of uncertainty at this sudden change, and her stomach almost dropped as the other two joined them. If things went south and she had to fight it would be three against one, and even with all her skill and confidence she knew there was no way she could win. The three of them, however, seemed to be holding a private conversation, which did not bode well in Ino's opinion.

"We are all in agreement," Senbotsu finally said, facing her. "This is the offer: For your support, we'll make sure you're passed and that you make Jōnin within a month. Upon becoming ANBU, we'll ensure that your pay is worthy of someone of your obviously superb skill level rather than the normal base pay. Also, within two months, we will help you gain a squad of your own to lead."

Ino blinked rapidly behind her mask, thankful for the concealment. The offer was tempting; becoming ANBU and Jōnin without any more hassle, a higher pay grade than normal, and she'd be an ANBU captain within two months. Basically, all she wanted from her professional life, all of her dreams rolled into one.

"You really would be great friends," Ino said absently, dazed by the offer.

"Trust me," Hotaru added kindly, "there are other benefits to being our friend. You'll always have someone to help you when you need it, someone that you can always trust and count on. Kunoichi, hell any ninja, need as many friends like that as they can get."

Ino's tongue touched her lips, tittering on the brink of accepting. "What would you need for me to do, though? I mean, if you're being such good friends I should return the favor, right?"

"We would appreciate that," Hideaki said with his deep voice. "All you would really have to do is introduce us to a friend of yours and help us out when we ask. Just as we will help you when you ask."

"Which friend?" Ino asked carefully, remembering what was going on and at stake. Temptation or not, and it was designed to be tempting no doubt, Ino was loyal to the Hokage, Konoha and Naruto. No matter how alluring, she would never betray their trust or the pride she had as a shinobi.

"The friend," Hotaru said knowingly, "whose name you were moaning in your sleep two nights ago."

Ino's eyes widened as she blushed brightly behind her mask.

"Don't answer now," Senbotsu said genially. "We understand that things are a bit overwhelming right now. Take a couple of days to think our offer over and let us know."

"If I decide to not be your friend, what will happen?" Ino asked, keeping her voice steady despite the intense blush on her face.

"Well, we'll all be very disappointed, but nothing will happen. You'll have to go at things alone is all," Senbotsu said with a slight shrug, "but we hope we'll be friends."

"I'll think about it," Ino said finally, mentally wondering how to speak with the Hokage in private, without seeming suspicious.

"Good, good," Senbotsu said. "I think we should head back to Hi no Kuni now. I'm sure we could all do with a nice bath, clean sheets and, like Kurohyou, our 'speical friends'."

Ino blinked, catching the meaning, and nearly died on the spot from utter humiliation.

* * *

Naruto was reading a scroll, but the words weren't really registering, his mind was a million miles away. Distraction was his enemy, as for all ninja, which is why Ino managed to sneak into his tent unnoticed. It wasn't until she ripped the scroll from his hands and forcibly shoved him backward that he realized she was there.

A moment later she was on top of him, her top half undone, her own nimble fingers working on his jacket, mouth pressed hungrily against his. Naruto lay there stunned, and then he was kissing back, hands fumbling to remove her top completely. Ino sat up, hips moving in small circles against him and gave him a smile that made him shiver.

"Naruto-kun," Ino panted, tossing her top aside and leaning back down to resume the heated kissing.

"Ino-chan," Naruto managed before her mouth was heatedly pressing against his, hands caressing her breasts-

Naruto sat bolt upright, blanket tangled around his waist, breathing heavily and very uncomfortable in his pants. He twisted around frantically for a moment, and then, seeing he was alone in the small tent, flopped back onto this sleeping mat. Hand covering his eyes, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Kami, it had been a while since he had such a vivid dream.

"Naruto-sensei?" Hanabi's voice called from just outside the tent flap. "It is morning. You asked me last night to make sure you were up."

"J-just a minute," Naruto managed, then, once his breath was normal and his cheeks weren't burning, he carefully got up and checked his clothes. Seeing that there was nothing wrong with them, he breathed easier and quickly slipped out of the tent, setting a Kage Bunshin to the task of taking it down. A moment later, he smelled the sweet aroma of miso ramen and hurriedly moved toward Hanabi and the fire. "Morning, Shorty, thanks for the food."

"I am _not_ short," Hanabi said defensively, glaring at him as he picked up the cooked ramen and began eating it full tilt. "Did you have pleasant dreams, Sensei?"

"D-did I what?" Naruto stuttered, eyes widening before he grinned to cover his lapse. "They were okay, but you were mumbling about more kisses and Konohamaru all night, so I didn't get too much sleep."

"I did _not!_" Hanabi said sharply, a small killer intent radiating off her. If there was one thing that riled the girl up, it was teasing her about Konohamaru. So, naturally, he kept it up until she threw a few kunai at him, which he avoided while still eating his precious ramen.

A few minutes after said ritual, Hanabi decided that she could bear speaking with him again. However, much to Naruto's disappointment, she picked the one topic he would have liked to avoid at the moment.

"Naruto-sensei, may I ask who, exactly, you must assassinate?"

"Arai Emi," Naruto said, looking up from his breakfast, deciding not the hide all the details from the girl. "She has a twin sister, so this could prove a little tricky because I gotta make sure to get the right one."

"I see," Hanabi said, looking thoughtful. "Why must you assassinate her?"

"She has a photographic memory," Naruto said blandly, struggling to keep his emotions in check. He was a ninja, damn it, a future Hokage and this was just another assassination. Only, he knew better, because this time the target was just a child who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Seeing Hanabi's raised eyebrow, he expanded his explanation. "She saw a few major ANBU unmasked and heard their names, so it has to be taken care of ASAP."

"But why would the Hokage not use ANBU for such a mission?" Hanabi inquired, her gaze shrewd.

Naruto almost winced, knowing that was his own fault. Hanabi had already been a suspicious and perceptive girl when they had met, and with Naruto's guidance she had turned into a very paranoid, frighteningly insightful ninja. Naruto looked at his remaining ramen thoughtfully before speaking. "Lets say you were a leader and you had a group of elite soldiers, but you weren't entirely sure who was really loyal to you. Then you needed a really difficult and delicate mission done, one that could never be revealed. How do you get it done without risking the compromised soldiers from catching wind of it?"

"You ask someone you know is loyal but not among those soldiers," Hanabi deduced quickly, eyes widening slightly. "Naruto-sensei-"

"No," Naruto cut her off curtly, giving her a look that made her flinch. "I'm not going to tell you anything else. Just stay here, practice the Shunshin no Jutsu, and when I come back this mission never happened."

"O-of course," Hanabi agreed meekly before cautiously speaking once more. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not really," Naruto said before locking his eyes with her. "When we go on that B-rank mission, I'll tell you anything you want to know. Right now, I need for you to trust me, like I trust you. This is a mission that cannot be failed."

"I understand," Hanabi said after a moment, before looking thoughtful. "Sensei, did you really mean you'd tell me anything on that mission?"

"Yeaaaaah," Naruto replied, wondering what she was thinking.

"Can I ask something now? I do not think this can wait that long."

"You can ask, but I can't promise I'll answer," Naruto said warily, now well and truly on guard. He had already told her too much and if he hadn't trusted her, there was no way she'd have learned all of that.

"Why were you muttering Yamanaka-san's name in your sleep?" Hanabi asked innocently, while Naruto started choking on his ramen, cheeks flaring red.

"N-none of your business! Go train!"

Hanabi smirked at that, then blanched at Naruto's sudden flare of killing intent and hurried to do as he had ordered. Finishing his meal in silence, Naruto stood, stretching, then set off through the small grove toward the remote mansion at which Governor Shingen and his two daughters were vacationing. According to the Kage Bunshin he had sent out yesterday to scout around, the place wasn't heavily guarded.

The nearest village, Minage or something like that, was actually about two miles away. The Governor liked to take a short trip to the village in the morning, where he kept a secret mistress roughly Naruto's own age. From what Naruto's Kage Bunshin had seen yesterday, the Governor definitely had good taste when it came to women.

Reaching the edge of the grove, he eyed the flat, open space between the grove of trees and the mansion wall. A Meisai Gakure and a Shunshin carried him over the space and the wall. Landing in a silent crouch, Naruto froze in place, ears straining for the sound of children at play. The Governor made it a point to leave his daughters within the mansion.

Off to the left was a guard, idly fiddling with his bow. Moving quietly away from the man, Naruto slipped up another wall and onto the roof of the kitchen attached on the side of the house. Crouching carefully, he found two more guards just to his right, talking approvingly about the Hi no Kuni ninja they knew. It took all of his restraint not to kill them on the spot.

They moved away a few moments later, continuing their patrol and Naruto turned his attention back to the grounds. According to his Kage Bunshin, the pond used for Emi's swimming lesson would be right around the east wall that he had just came over. Spotting the pond, Naruto moved quickly from the kitchen to the ground, then over the small bridge and a small pond before arriving finally in the isolated corner of the garden where only two guards were watching over the girl.

Emi was five years old and adorable; her black hair in an intricate braid, her brown eyes wide and innocent. She was currently grinning up at a guard around a mouth full of food, unconcerned that he was chiding her for eating before a swim lesson. Naruto felt something in him sicken and putrefy, acidic in the back of his throat, knowing that he could not avoid this, but how could he kill this girl?

Kami, why had he ever accepted this mission?

* * *

Shunshin no Jutsu was D-rank, and utterly supplementary. All it honestly required was: one, a suitably chakra supply; two, enough control over said chakra; and, three, an understanding of the technique. The high-speed technique used chakra to create the equivalent to a super-adrenaline boost in the muscles of the body, making it impossible to see any following movement with the naked eye. The success of the move also depended upon the charka being of the proper level in relation to the distance and elevation between the user and their destination.

Now, this move was not used by more than a handful of people, and even then not on a regular basis, because excessive use rapidly drained chakra. Also, until very recently, there were two advanced bloodline abilities that would have been able to follow the technique, even if you had combined an element with the Shunshin no Jutsu to cover your tracks.

Hanabi, however, had a sensei that used it with carte blanche for hours and days on end. His chakra supply, amazingly, never seemed to end; and Hanabi, on her better days, wondered about that. On the other days, like today, she cared about nothing more than not only completing the technique, but mastering it and, in the process, building up her chakra supplies. Hanabi was a perfectionist when it came to techniques. It was one of her only two flaws, at least in her opinion. If you asked her sensei on better days sensei, great days niisan, other days rat bastard and her absolute worse days the crazy mother fucker trying to kill her- she had several.

Naruto was both extraordinarily vocal about her flaws and accepting; though he was, in her estimation, utterly insane, but that was beside the point. Naruto often praised her for that flaw, though he cautioned her against becoming too obsessed with perfection, while he teased her for the other one that concerned Konohamaru. Naruto often said that her perfectionist nature was actually just her desire to become the best ninja she could be, and every time he would say such a thing, a feeling of pride would fill her and she would work twice as hard on the next technique he showed her.

Naturally, with this flaw came alarming levels of self-frustration when something went wrong.

So she was currently in a foul mood. Her attempts at Shunshin no Jutsu had been utter failures. It should have been simple, had seemed simple enough last night when he had explained it. Concentrating her chakra, exerting her precise control, she willed her body into a Shunshin. Her body remained firmly, and stubbornly, in place. Letting out a frustrated growl, she hurled a kunai at a tree branch where it _thunked_ loudly before glancing off into the surrounding woods.

"Why me," Hanabi muttered, moving to retrieve the weapon. Pocketing it, the ten-year-old Gennin (eleven in six months, and hopefully Chūnin the month after that) crossed her arms, scowling. Naruto expected her to have this learned when he returned, and if she could not perform it, he would be disappointed. Hanabi refused to fail in Narutos eyes. He was the sole person that had seen her worth as a ninja and he had become the brother she had secretly wanted growing up. Instead of taking a break, as other Genin might have, she instead concentrated every ounce of her being on the problematic Shunshin no Jutsu.

Obviously, it was not her control, since her now nearly useless Jūken demanded excellent chakra control. Her chakra was suitably large for a near Chūnin, as Naruto had been almost fanatic in building it up. Hanabi had yet to attempt a Shunshin to the tree branches, so it was not her destination or her elevation. The problem had her stumped for several long minutes. There was no reason for her repeated failures, and she knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

The only answer she came up with was that perhaps, like with the Kanashibari no Jutsu, she was not concentrating hard enough. The solution would be to totally fix her concentration on a target. Looking around, she selected the perfect spot. Ten feet away, there was a space between the trunks of two trees, clear and conspicuous.

Bending all of her attention to that one spot, she began building her chakra, while focusing it through her body. Hanabi felt the beginnings of a headache forming, but she kept concentrating, slowing her breathing and then, with expert precision, attempted the Shunshin no Jutsu. The world disappeared briefly, disorientating her, and then suddenly she was back, feeling as though she had just been forced through a tube.

Breathing heavily, she looked around, comprehension catching up with her senses. She had moved halfway to her target, so it had definitely worked. She was still short of her final goal, but she didn't understand why until she registered the lightheaded feeling Konohamaru had explained to her as an early sign of Chakra exhaustion.

Though she did not like to use them, Hanabi produced a soldier pill and took it. Her chakra returned quickly, her fatigue fading, though she would need to sleep for several hours once the pill wore off. For the moment she was back at a hundred percent. That problem solved, she returned to her training. By the end of the next hour, she was able to do the Shunshin no Jutsu almost as casually as she could any other technique.

Indeed, she felt confident enough to flash from the ground to a branch, then to a vertical base on the tree trunk and back to the ground; moving randomly through the forest. After another thirty minutes, coming to a stop on a branch high over the forest floor, she decided that it would be prudent to head back to their temporary camp and rest. With a brief surge of charka, Hanabi was off once more into another series of Shunshin's. If she kept the leap short, then her concentration would not have to be so great and her chakra wouldn't be wasted. Besides, there was no real hurry to get back to camp. Without Naruto around, she was on her own and, like Naruto had said yesterday, she could handle a day or two alone in a forest of Hi no Kuni.

Coming to a stop, Hanabi blinked, spotting a small child sitting at the base of a tree she had been passing over. In the distance she heard several loud voices, and with two and two obviously making four, she nimbly descended from branch to branch before landing in a crouch next to the startled child. The girl, who couldn't have been more than five, scrambled to her feet.

"Whered you come from?" the girl asked, her eyes wide, staring up at her.

"The trees," Hanabi answered evasively, knowing that until you knew the whole situation, it was best to keep some things secret. "Are you okay?"

"Uh huh," the girl said with a grin, nodding. "I'm pwayn a game."

"A game?" Hanabi echoed, arching a slender eyebrow. "I heard several voices calling. Are you playing with them?"

"Yup!" the girl said, her grin growing. "Hide-n-Seek. Don't tell them where I am, pwease."

Hanabi kept from huffing in annoyance. Leave it to her to find a girl busy playing some stupid childrens game. Not that she hadn't participated in a similar game during her training, called Hide-n-Hunt, but it was a lot more brutal than the version civilian children played. Especially if Naruto and Anko both wanted to hunt. Hanabi shivered at her memory of the only time _that_ had ever happened.

"Ano, ano, nee-chan, who are you?" the girl asked, tugging on her hand, interrupting Hanabi's train of thought.

"Why don't you tell me who you are first?" Hanabi offered in exasperation. "One must always be polite, even to strangers. It is not polite to ask for my name without first introducing yourself."

The girl's face scrunched up, and even Hanabi was forced to privately admit that it was a cute expression. Then the girl beamed brightly up at her, as if finally understanding what Hanabi had just said. "My names Emi. I'm a pywincess!"

Hanabi blinked, staring at the girl silently for several long minutes. That name, it was the same as the person Naruto had been sent to assassinate; but surely this child could not be the target. It seemed ridiculous for such a mission to be given, to kill a sweet little girl.

"Anou, what's your name, nee-chan?"

"Is your name Arai Emi?" Hanabi asked carefully, unsure of what she should do if the answer was an affirmative.

"Uh huh," the girl said with a nod and another wide smile.

"Have you," Hanabi said, then paused before continuing. Emi-chan, have you seen men that wore animal mask's lately?

"Uh huh," the girls said again, her eyes wide. "Only I'm not suppose to tell, so its a sekert...Anou, are you going to tell me who you are?"

Hanabi stared at the girl for a moment, unable to speak. The mission Naruto-sensei was on involved the death of this child; Naruto-sensei who watched out for and guided her, Naruto-niisan who she had sworn to never disappoint. He had been sent to kill this little girl. He was in the village, and he thought the girl was there, but the girl was here and...and -

Hanabi could complete the mission.

Could she though? Could she actually kill such an innocent little girl?

__

This is a mission that cannot be failed.

"Anou, nee-chan, are you sick? If youre sick, we can go get my friends," Emi offered, big eyes full of worry. "They'd help you..."

"I-I'm fine, Emi-chan," Hanabi said, kneeling so that they were eye level. "Can you close your eyes? Just for a moment. Then I'll tell you who I am."

"Ok!" The girl said in delight, closing her eyes and smiling so wide that it tore Hanabi's heart out.

Hanabi made her decision.

She lifted her open hand almost mechanically, channeling the appropriate amount of chakra to it, the bulls eye plain in her mind.

"I'm Hanabi," she whispered, a second before her palm shot forward, chakra piercing the girls chest, destroying her heart. Emi's eyes and mouth flew open, blood splattering Hanabi's cheek, then her body collapse lifelessly. Standing slowly, Hanabi stared down at the small form, crying soundlessly, pink tears mixing with the childs blood as they tracked down her cheeks.

And I'm a ninja."

* * *

Naruto darted between the bare trees, barely disturbing the thin layer of fallen leaves on the ground, a sense of urgency flooding him with adrenaline. The mission was quickly becoming his worst nightmare. Emi and her sister had switched places as a joke on their guards and the forest was now filled with samurai frantically searching for the missing girl.

Thankfully, when the guards that were escorting 'Otori' had turned up and summoned everyone to help them hunt, they had revealed the switch. Naruto, who had been a moment away from striking, was spared the fate of killing the wrong child. Killing Emi would be hard enough, he was sure that he'd see her face for the rest of his life, but killing the wrong child would have probably shattered him.

Gripping a kunai tightly in his hand, he weaved his way through the autumn colored grove near the mansion, desperately searching for the target before her guards found her. If he didn't neutralize Emi now, then the opportunity would be missed and he'd have failed the Hokage, because those two would never be so laxly guarded again. Sensing a group of samurai approaching from his left, he silently performed a Shunshin into the overhead branches and continued his search.

If he created Kage Bunshin things would be easier, but he couldn't risk the samurai spotting even one. After all, this all had to look like an accident, and seeing a mysterious figure near the place where a child turned up dead was not a good thing. Naruto came to a sudden stop, realizing that Hanabi was somewhere in these woods, and she might realize too late that there were people around.

Plus, Samurai weren't as hopeless as some ninja assumed; they could notice a ninja and even fight against them with some success. A handful, Naruto knew, could even equal Jōnin in battle, though he doubted any like that would be stationed here. Despite that, he had to find Hanabi and Emi before things went any further south on this accursed mission.

Coincidentally, moments later he spotted Hanabi in his peripheral, standing at the base of a tree. Turning, he darted toward her, dropping to the ground a few feet behind her. Hanabi didn't move or even seem to register his approach. The girl was staring at something just beyond Naruto's line of sight and a horrible dread crept into his mind, which transformed into cruel certainty as he saw the still form of the child.

Stopping just at her shoulder, he stared for several long moments. The enormity of what had occurred crushing down on him. Reaching out, he gently laid a hand on Hanabi's shoulder, saying nothing because he could think of nothing to say.

Hanabi was silent for several minutes and then, without turning, spoke in a barely audible voice, "I killed her."

"Yes," Naruto said, glancing away from the body to look at Hanabi. Wet streaks severed the drying blood painting her cheeks.

"It was a Jūken strike to the heart, one of three forbidden death points," Hanabi continued, almost mechanically. "When she told me who she was, I asked her to close her eyes and I killed her."

"I'm sorry you had to do this," Naruto said roughly, hand tightening on her shoulder.

"I know you said I was not required to participate, but I was on this mission and you said it couldnt fail," Hanabi said, finally turning to stare up at him. "I did the right thing, didn't I?"

"Yes," Naruto said, nodding slightly, unsure of how to handle the situation and reacting in the only way he could think of. Thank you for helping me."

"Are...are you disappointed with me?"

Naruto blinked, then turned her toward him and crouched, meeting her gaze intently. "I am not disappointed with you. Hanabi, you did a very good job, you were there to cover for me when it counted. The only person I'm disappointed with is me, because I wasn't able to keep you from having to do something like this."

"Why? As a ninja, I am required to kill."

"Yes," Naruto admitted, eyes darkening slightly, "but I did not want you to have to."

"Why?"

"Because," Naruto paused, frowning slightly. It was part of the job as a ninja to kill and, though he had never liked doing it, he'd adapted; learned how to do it and then forget about it. If it happened, it happened. He could have handled killing Emi. He might have been haunted by dreams about her for the rest of his life, but he could have handled it.

But it hadn't been him. It had been Hanabi.

Her first kill.

_A child._

How could he take her out to dinner to celebrate that?

"Sensei?" Hanabi asked softly and Naruto heaved a small sigh.

"Imouto, I didn't want you to kill, not like this. I wanted better for you," Naruto admitted with a kind smile. "I didn't want you to have to take a life until you were much older."

"But I'm a ninja." Hanabi countered, sounding uncertain.

"Yes, you _are_ a ninja," Naruto confirmed, "and you'll have to learn how to forget about doing this. If you don't, it will eat away at you. Killing is not to be done lightly, but sometimes it is unavoidable."

"I understand," Hanabi said, then paused. "What now, Niisan?"

"You go pack up camp and remove any trace of us having been here," Naruto said, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "Then Shunshin out to that small gorge just on the far side of the grove."

"Okay," Hanabi said, then offered a weak smile before turning away to disappear into a Shunshin.

Naruto remained crouched there for another moment before looking at the body. He would handle the situation, make sure Emi turned up as an obvious accident. He'd do the mission properly using that gorge, and when he saw the Hokage he was going to find out _why_ exactly this had to happen. Just because Emi had a photographic memory and was five did not mean she needed to be killed, there had to be a better reason.

If it had been him that killed the girl, he wouldn't have cared, but Kakashi had stolen part of Hanabi's innocence with this mission. Naruto knew that he, too, was guilty of that, but he would demand an answer from Kakashi and he would get it.

Or, by all that was holy, Uzumaki Naruto was going to kill the son of a bitch.


	13. Chapter 11: Patrol Duty

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 11:  
-_Patrol Duty_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

"Kakashi."

That tone was cold, with the thick, underlying hint of malice. The white-haired Hokage paused, pen posed over his paperwork. He knew of three people that would address him with such a tone, but none of them should be in his office at the moment.

"I need answers."

There was that cold tone with the underlying threat of dark malice. Only now, it was joined with the promise of painful death. A killing rage, something Kakashi had only experienced twice; once from the Yondaime, and second with Anko shortly after the Sasuke fiasco during Naurto's Chūnin exams. Looking up, wondering who it was, his gaze met furious cerulean eyes.

Naruto?

Kakashi blinked owlishly, studying the clenched jaw muscles and the taunt pose of his body. Killing rage, no doubt. Kakashi wondered what had happened to provoke such a frightening reaction, while at the same time considering the possibility of hiding under his desk.

"Naruto," Kakashi said politely, aware of the danger before him. According to Jiraiya, the boy was strong and Anko had said the boy was almost at her level. The last thing Kakashi wanted to do this early in the morning was fight a boy at the Tokubetsu Jōnin level.

"What was the real reason?" Naruto asked in a very precise manner, enunciating each word with a clack of teeth like he was biting off chucks of glass.

Danger sign number one.

"I told you," Kakashi said, neatly evading the question.

"You told me what you wanted to tell me," Naruto countered, nostrils flaring.

Danger sign number two.

"I told you what you needed to know."

"I need a better reason," Naruto said, tone growing rougher, tinged with bloodlust.

Danger sign number three.

"The ANBU were looking for evidence that Shingen was selling state secrets," Kakashi said, gaze unwavering "the information proved false. This would have been the end of it, if not for the fact that two ANBU got extremly sloppy and allowed their faces and names to become known."

"She was five. years. old." Naruto grated out, eyes narrowing.

"Let me finish." Kakashi snapped, eye hardening. "The whole matter _could_ have been dropped if not for the fact that after being repremanded for it, one of the ANBU recently blabbed to a known Unity memeber. They, in turn, were preparing to contact the Hi ninja, which would have ultimately created more instability within the country and help Unity's cause."

"What about a memory seal?"

"They can be forcibly broken." Kakashi pointed out, with more patience that most might imagine. Then agian, this was hardly the first time Kakashi had experinced a ninja reacting this way to a questionable assassination. "This was the only way Naruto."

Naruto was silent for several long minutes, his killing rage building to even greater heights. Then suddenly it disappeared and Kakashi felt a moment of fear. That wasn't right. Killing rage did not just disappear, it normally turned into attempted homicide; as it had with Anko and the Yondaime.

"Thank you," Naruto said seriously, a grin meandering across his face. "Oi, so, now that me and Hanabi are back from our vacation, can I have that mission you promised me?"

"Naruto, what exactly happened?" Kakashi asked cautiously, picking up the scroll but not handing it over.

"We went south, saw the Hikawa Shrine. Hanabi loved the architecture and was fascinated by the fact that the temple was built within a moat and surrounded by a two-mile long outer wall. I personally liked the towers at the center of the temple. The shadows create interesting images."

"That's not what I meant," Kakashi said, setting the scroll down. "You came in here ready to attempt murder and now youre acting perfectly fine. I want to know why."

"I was determined to get a good answer, and I got one." Naruto explained "So there's no reason to kill you. _Now_ can I have that B-rank mission?"

Kakashi blinked, uncertain about what to make of the answer. He couldn't send Naruto out until he could get a better handle on the situation, it would be utterly irresponsible. Picking up the scroll, he sat it aside, not looking away from the boy. "After lunch, Naruto. I need time to think and to handle Ino's ANBU Trainee Training debriefing."

"Okay," Naruto said with a sigh. "I'll come back after lunch. Is Anko around?"

"Should be at her dango spot," Kakashi said, quirking his eyebrow. "Why?"

"I wanna spar someone I don't have to hold back against." Naruto answered brightly, before turning and walked out of the office.

* * *

Sarutobi Konohamaru was feeling good. His team had just managed a C-rank mission and he had saved the day. He would admit that he could have done better, as while saving the day he had come within an inch of being killed, but he still felt good. His hard work and dedication was finally paying off: He'd graduated first in his class and had been working his butt off to be the top Genin.

Rumor though, passed along by a cruelly happy Ami-sensei, said there was someone else that was the top Genin. Which was why, after Ami-sensei had left to file a mission report and Choko and Chen had grudgingly said thank you, Konohamaru had set out for the training area he used to share with Hanabi before she started training with Naruto.

Thinking of Naruto, the Genin wondered why he had yet to encounter the older ninja, but decided it was just one of those things. Eventually, Konohamaru would encounter Naruto and he would challenge him to a match. Konohamaru grinned, envisioning a match in which he clearly stood as the victor, with Naruto begging for mercy and Hanabi swooning over his prowess.

Such thoughts were driven out of his head, upon discovering Hanabi sitting huddled against the side of a training post. The air seemed thick with a sense of despair, and Konohamaru actually shivered at the feeling. If it were anyone else, the boy would have left them alone, but this was Hanabi so he quietly approached.

The other Genin didn't even move as he sat down next to her. Konohamaru glanced at her after a moment, expecting tears, but instead found a dull gaze focused dead ahead. Curious, he opened his mouth to speak, but found he lacked an idea of what to say, so he closed his mouth and let his head rest against the post.

"What if you had to kill," Hanabi suddenly asked, startling him. "Only it wasn't like you expected."

"Hanabi-chan?" Konohamaru asked, staring at her.

"Have you ever killed, Konohamaru-kun?" Hanabi asked, not looking at him.

"No," Konohamaru admitted, frowning slightly. "Ami-sensei says that killing is the sign of a ninja that does not know how to properly do their job."

"Naruto-sensei says that 'Killing is not to be done lightly, but sometimes it is unavoidable,'" Hanabi countered. "All of our Senseis in the academy have told us that we will have to kill at some point."

"I remember Naruto talked to us once, before you joined the class," Konohamaru said, his mind going back to the day and those words he had only vaguely paid attention to. "He said that 'Either you accept that you'll have to kill, or you get killed.'"

"I accepted that I would have to kill," Hanabi said, her eyes darkening even as the mood in the training area changed. "I would have no difficulty killing if it were my life or my enemys."

"Hanabi-chan," Konohamaru said, understanding flooding through him, "what happened?"

"I cannot tell you," Hanabi said softly.

"Listen, I understand what you-" Konohamaru started to reason, until she glared at him with such intensity that he flinched.

"You have _no_ idea what I have done." Hanabi hissed angrily, before she fell silent and ultimately sighed as she climbed to her feet. "Excuse me, I have a mission and Naruto-sensei asked that I met him at the Hokage's office."

Konohamaru nodded, watching her walk away, confused and unnerved.

* * *

Yamanaka Ino felt as if she was going to throw up, not because of something she ate or because of being sick, but because of the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Twenty minutes ago she had received a summons to the Hokage's office...

...by an official Hokage messenger bird.

Ino had only returned two days ago from her ANBU mission to Umi no Kuni, which had been both her graduation mission and her first encounter with Unity. After a quick debriefing with the rest of her team, she had yet to see the Hokage. Nor had she had a chance to approach him without raising Unity's suspicions, until now.

Entering the tower, she greeted the few office workers with a brief smile, then ascended the staircase to the Hokage's private office. Ino had no clear memories of the office before the Godaime had taken over, and she doubted she had ever been to the place when the Sandaime had been in charge, but she did know that the desk outside the door was new. Behind the desk sat a Chūnin; dressed in the gray uniform that marked all officers, wearing sunglasses and a bandana forehead protector.

Walking up, undeterred, she stopped at his desk and placed one hand on the edge, leaning slightly forward. "Morning."

"Good morning," the man said a tiny smirk on his face as he looked up at her. "May I help you?"

"Why, yes you can," Ino responded sweetly. "You can tell that Chūnin in front of the Hokage's office that I'm suppose to see him now."

"Ah, Yamanaka?" the man said, then making a motion with his fingers for the guard to move aside. "Go right in."

"Thanks," Ino drawled, then walked past the desk and entered the actual office. The office was round, with large bay windows, a few doors leading off to side rooms and a very impressive desk behind which sat a very bored-looking Hokage. "Hokage-sama?"

"Ah, Ino-san," the man said, motioning for her to have a seat. "Glad to see you made it."

"Thanks," Ino said, sitting carefully if a bit stiffly, as she was unused to talking with the Hokage. "Can I ask what's up with those two outside your office?"

"Mozuku and Tateage?" the Hokage said, eye drooping slightly. "They were Tenzou's idea. For 'your own personal safety, due to Unity'."

"Is it really that bad?" Ino asked, acutely aware of Unity and its pervasiveness.

"Worse, I'm afraid," Hokage said sourly, "which reminds me..." The man created several Kage Bunshin that moved to various points in the room and applied chakra to odd place. At Ino's curious look, his eye curved up happily. "Security and silencing seals. I'm just strengthening them to ensure I don't have any leaks of information."

"Ah," Ino said. When they finished, she shifted slightly in her seat, trying to think of how to broach the subject that was pressing on her mind. It turned out to be a needless concern since the Hokage did it for her.

"So, I trust Unity has approached you?"

"Yes," Ino said, eyes widening in surprise "how'd you know?"

"I'm the Hokage and the former ANBU Commander. It's my job to think like my enemies." At this, his eye curved up happily once more. "Or when I can't I put spies in their ranks and get insider information. Incidentally, Shino says, 'Hi'."

Ino blinked several times, taking that information in, then shook her head to stare at the man incredulously. "Shino? As in ABURAME SHINO? My former teammate who was reported dead on a mission two years ago?"

"Yes, well, when you enter 'Ne' you tend to stop existing," the Hokage explained with a shrug. "It was under my orders."

"Kami, and I thought the biggest news would be telling you about Unity," Ino muttered, sitting back in her seat in a daze. Shino was not only alive but operating as a spy within Ne or Unity. Ino couldn't quite wrap her mind around that, though, considering the Aburame, it wasn't hard to imagine.

"I'm glad to prove you wrong," the Hokage said, eye still curved up happily. "So, about the offer. I knew they were going to approach you during this last mission, which tentative reports say you passed, by the way, but I don't know what exactly they wanted or were offering."

"Well, the offer was very tempting," Ino said, snapping back to the office and the meeting. "For my support, they offered to ensure my graduation and that within a month I'd be made Jōnin. Then, they'd make sure my ANBU pay was above normal base pay and that Id have a squad of my own to lead within a month after that."

"Wow, that _is_ a pretty good offer," Hokage admitted. "So, what sort of support did they want in return?"

"For me to set up a meeting with a friend of mine," Ino said, forcing herself to stay professional and not blush at that part of the conversation. "I think Naruto-kun."

"Most likely," Hokage admitted, leaning back in his chair and picking up his Icha Icha book to flip it open.

Ino blinked, staring at the man as she stood uncertainly, wondering if the meeting was over. "Err...should I go now?"

"Huh? Oh no," the Hokage said, looking up at her briefly. "Naruto's on his way here for his first B-rank mission in a long time and I'm assigning you to his team for this mission. So, it'll be you, Hanabi and Naruto out there alone. Try not to corrupt the poor girls mind."

"What?" Ino asked, blinking. What did he mean 'corrupt' the girl? He should have been saying that to Naruto. After all, outside of her secret copy of Icha Icha, she wasn't perverted.

"Nothing," the Hokage said evasively, before turning slightly more serious. "Ino-san, this is important. Naruto is going to discuss something important with you, I won't say what. But, I want you to keep an eye on him and how he acts, somebodys brought it to my attention that they think he's repressing his anger."

"Naruto-kun?" Ino asked, startled, wondering what he would want to talk to her about and about what the Hokage had just told her. Repressing his anger? Naruto? It didn't fit.

"Yes, so I want to know for sure," the Hokage said before turning back to his book.

"O-okay," Ino agreed, uncomfortable with the idea but knowing an order when given one. "Hokage-sama, what about Unitys offer?"

"Oh, that," the masked man said absently. "Well, I'd like you to discuss the offer with Naruto and then when you get back we'll all talk about how to handle it. As for Unity, they're not about to rush ahead: 'Within a month after your support' means theyre planning something long term."

"Okay," Ino said dubiously before the door to his office opened with a loud bang.

"Ah, Hanabi-chan, Naruto, did you have a good lunch?" the Hokage asked, shifting his attention to the two ninja who entered.

"How could I not with Hokage-sized servings at Ichiraku?" Naruto gloated happily, while Hanabi made an indistinct sound of agreement to the Hokage's question, both crossing the room to stand next to Ino.

"Hey, Ino-chan. Long time no see!" Naruto said, face brightening as he spotted her.

"Naruto-kun," Ino returned fondly, smiling at him while almost blushing from remembering Hotaru's comments. Naruto didn't seem to notice as he moved to stand beside her, a dour Hanabi standing on the other side of him.

"Good to hear," the Hokage said before picking up a scroll and handing it over to Naruto. "The scroll is a map of the territory you'll be patrolling. Normally, this is just a C-rank mission, but there are outside influences."

"Eh?" Naruto managed, blinking.

"You'll be entering Kawa no Kuni to patrol the east side of the country, up to the west bank of the Isen River. The reason for this goes back several years, shortly after the Second Great Shinobi War. After a very long war, primarily against Suna, Konoha emerged the victor."

"And we patrol why?" Hanabi asked curtly.

"Because after the war, Kawa was left defenseless and every year Suna sends a patrol. Since we personally don't like the idea of Suna invading a country on our border, again, we send our own patrol," Kakashi said, leaning back in his chair sighing. "Normally this is only a C-rank mission; however; Suna is currently engaged in a low-key conflict with Iwa."

"Wouldn't that make this A-rank?" Ino asked thoughtfully. She was only vaguely aware of the rumors within ANBU that they were expecting the conflict to turn into outright war any day.

"Not really, as we don't expect anything to happen. In truth, you're going on this mission mostly to give Suna a subtle chance to let us know if they've seen a certain pair of missing-ninja." Kakashi explained, eye closing happily. "However, since Iwa fanatically despises Konoha ninja and would attempt to kill you on sight, I'm giving you orders to handle any enemy as you deem appropriate."

"Hokage-sama," Hanabi said, arching an eyebrow, "why does Iwa despise us?"

"That," Kakashi said with a heavy sigh, "is something we've never been able to entirely figure out."

* * *

Normally, Naruto would feel a surge of excitement concerning such a high rank mission. After all, a B-rank was worth two points toward Jōnin, which was a step closer to Hokage and when he planned to reveal his true nature. That he, Uzumaki Naruto, held the Kyūbi prisoner inside him.

On that dark day, some people would undoubtedly reject him, and Naruto worried especially about Ino, suddenly distancing herself from him. One that day, as within Kumo, Suna and Mizu, he would be called Jinchūriki or, even worse, Eta. He was lucky to live in Konoha, who would ultimately accept him as more than a mere weapon. They would also help fight against Akatuski, a group of S-rank criminals after people with demons inside them.

Yet these rather large problems were not why he didn't feel his typical surge of excitement.

No, the lack of excitement came from the fact that the girl to his left within the V-formation the team was currently in. Hanabi, his apprentice, had on their 'vacation' taken it upon her own shoulders to kill a child that Naruto had been responsible for assassinating. It wasn't her fault. It had been an order from the Hokage, orders that Naruto only marginally accepted as justifiable. He should have been the one having trouble sleeping at night; yet, it was Hanabi who suffered.

The first night heading back to Konoha had been horrible, her thrashing around in a nightmare that he had caused leaving Naruto clueless on how to handle it. It had only gotten worse the next morning when Hanabi had become withdrawn, further confusing Naruto.

The second night had been a near repeat, and it was only through serious contemplation that Naruto had come up with the only thing he could do. He remembered seeing movies where kids would have nightmares and parents would sit and stroke their temple or hair all night. It seemed to work in the movies and Naruto decided it was better than doing nothing; hence, Hanabi had woken up to Naruto stroking her temple.

Neither had mentioned it, but Hanabi had at least returned to semi-normal around him. Naruto knew normal would not happen for her again. Hanabi had lost a part of herself on that 'vacation' and Naruto had realized just how ill-equipped he was to be a sensei. Not that he could talk to anyone about it and try to figure out what to do, which meant he was left to his own devices.

After several hours of intensive consideration, the only solution he could see would be to make Hanabi forget about Emi. The only way to do that was with one of those Memory Seals that Ero-sennin had told him about. Now, while Naruto was not quite skilled enough to make one, he knew someone that was. Ero-sennin, for all of his perversion, would help him. Nodding to himself, feeling good about that decision, he briefly glanced at Hanabi, then at Ino who was at point, eyes lingering on her legs and ass. Feeling better, he shifted his attention away from the girl and his guilt about looking at her, returning to his looming sealing projects.

One, and the most pressing, was a seal he had been developing to solve his weakness with genjutsu and the dispelling of said techniques. It had gained even more importance after his sparring match against Anko, who had taken to destroying his Kage Bunshin and kept him from breaking out of a genjutsu. Naruto had an idea of how to make it, and he would give it further thought when they set up camp that night.

The second seal, and the one he would need to talk to Ero-sennin for help, was something that started out as a project just to piss off the Hyūga. Now though, it seemed a nice way of making up to Hanabi for messing up. Basically, he wanted to unseal her bloodline. Until then, he would teach her the Hakken no Jutsu, which he had only recently learned from Anko.

Naruto came out of his thoughts a moment later as Ino raised a fist, signaling them to stop.

"Oi, what's up?" Naruto asked, moving to join her on the branch, looking at the odd layout of unnoticeable rocks that she pointed out. "What about 'em?"

"Perimeter," Ino said, gaze turning skyward. "Iwa ninja use that formation to mark their boundaries. If we keep going, it'll set off an alarm."

"Ah," Naruto said, scowling, "so how are we going to get around that?"

"First, keep an eye on my body," Ino muttered, lacing her fingers together before her body went slack. Naruto reacted quickly, catching her with surprise. What the hell did she do? Looking up as Hanabi joined him, he shifted Ino absently so that her face was in the crook of his neck to balance them both better.

"Naruto-sensei, what is Yamanaka-san doing?" Hanabi asked, a tiny frown on her face.

"Scouting," Naruto said, but unsure about that being the truth. "We're at the boundary of an Iwa group."

"I see," Hanabi said, crouching slightly. "I must admit: This is one of the few times I rue my temper. If I could still use my Byakugan, I could be of more use."

"Ahah, don't say stuff like that," Naruto countered with a snort. "Besides, after we get camp set up, I'm going to be teach you two jutsu. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and a hidden Ninjutsu, Hakken no Jutsu."

"Hakken no Jutsu?"

"I figure even if your bloodline is sealed, your eyesight has to be a lot sharper than normal. So with Hakken, maybe it'd...iunno..."

Further conversation became impossible when Ino made a small nose, stirring in his arms. Naruto couldn't help but blush as her breath washed over his neck, sending a chill down his spine. "I-ino-chan, you back?"

"Mhmm," Ino mumbled, pulling away slightly while blushing before looking away and completely separating from him. "A-ah, I found them!"

"Right, great!" Naruto said, coughing, ignoring Hanabi's fleeting look of amusement. "So, how?"

"Shintenshin no Jutsu, one of my familys techniques. There was a bird circling overhead," Ino explained, regaining her professionalism, "so I used it to scout the Iwa nin out. There's four of them, three Chūnin and one Jōnin, about two yards ahead."

"Shit," Naruto muttered, feeling a moment of annoyance. "Okay, I'll take the Jōnin and-"

"Wait, why do you get the Jōnin?" Ino asked, looking at him sourly.

"Why not? I've never fought a Jōnin from Iwa.

She looked at him skeptically.

Oh, come on!" Naruto pleaded, grinning. "Pleeease, Ino-chan? I'll buy, no **_cook_**, you some really nice tomato pudding!"

"You can cook something other than ramen?" Ino asked dubiously.

"Not my fault," Naruto huffed in annoyance. "Ero-sennin hired me out as kitchen help while we were in Umi no Kuni."

"Hmm, fine, fine," Ino relented. "You can have the Jōnin. I can take the three Chūnin, I guess."

"What am I to do?" Hanabi asked, sounding reluctant.

"Actually why don't you take one of the Chūnin?" Naruto asked brightly, hopefully that this would help her out. After all, when he was fighting he had a tendency to forget about things and Hanabi definitely needed some peace of mind. Turning back, he grinned at Ino. "That okay with you Ino-chan?"

"I guess so. She has been doing C-rank missions and she'll be taking the Chūnin exams soon," Ino mused before glancing at Hanabi, but only if she feels like she's ready for it."

"I believe I can handle a Chūnin." Hanabi said, tone cold, a sure sign that Ino had struck a nerve by doubting her ability.

"Great, so we'll all use Shunshin and kick some ass." Grinning, Naruto reached out and patted Hanabi's shoulder. "Just be careful and don't get carried away."

"Of course," Hanabi offered with a small smile, which Naruto returned before the three of them disappeared into Shunshins.

* * *

Sekibutsu Jimen was thirty years old, from a rather important ninja family within Iwagakure. He had served during the last Shinobi War, though it had not been until two years after the war when he was fifteen that he became Jōnin. He had encountered the Yondaime Hokage, Konoha's Kiiroi Hirameku, and was one of the few survivors from the monsters reign of terror.

Hence, he had noticed the swift approach of a three-man cell a half-second before the Chūnin that made up his own team. He had pinpointed the two Jōnin and one Chūnin, charging from the east, within a few seconds. He'd produced his kunai and turned in time to see one purple and two black blurs dart into the clearing. He spared the purple a glance, but it seemed to be engaging two of his Chūnin.

After his eyes adjusted, he saw a lithe girl wielding her sword expertly. He shifted his gaze to one of the dark blurs, who was a young girl, maybe ten, leading the newest Iwa Chūnin on a merry chase, but didn't recognize her. Then he blocked the kunai of the last ninja to enter the clearing, skidded back, and nearly lost control of his bladder.

For one wild, incredulously minute, Skibutsu Jimen Jōnin of Iwa saw the Scourge of Iwa: Konoha's Yondaime Hokage. The man across from him had the same fierce face and blue eyes, and the wild, yellow hair that had given him the title Kiiroi Hirameku. Then he came to his senses, blocking another strike. This was not the Yondaime. He was too young and, besides, the Scourge was dead.

Focusing on the fight, his fright forgotten, he exchanged a series of rapid kunai blows with the boy across from him, then dodged back to put space between them. He couldn't get over how eerily similar the Yondaime and this child looked. Then the boy smiled and he felt a chill sweep over him, it reminded him of the Scourge on the day he had stormed Iwa.

"So you're an Iwa Jōnin?" the boy asked, twirling his kunai absently.

Jimen didn't respond, what Iwa ninja would to a Konoha mongrel, especially one that so greatly resembled a man that had committed horrendous atrocities against Iwagakure? Instead, the Iwa ninja threw his kunai, forcing the boy to dodge, and was nearly caught off guard as the boy threw his own kunai, which quickly multiplied into a dozen.

Forming the needed hand seals, Jimen spewed mud from his mud and a wall of earth quickly sprouted, absorbing the attack. The Iwa ninja quickly dodged back as the wall shattered from a sphere of chakra that he knew all too well as the Rasengan. A moment later, Jimen found himself in a heated taijutsu fight with the boy.

Ducking a round-kick, Jimen darted forward, kneeing the boy in the stomach and following it with a kick to the face, only to be surprised as the boy disappeared in a puff of smoke. Turning, the Jōnin tried to dodge a punch, managing to make it a glancing blow, then just barely avoided the follow-up kick. Jimen countered with another round-kick, but the boy preformed a one-handed cartwheel, his left foot blocking the attack and his right foot planting a kick to his stomach.

The Iwa ninja stumbled back. Just as he regained his balance, the boy used his momentum to jump into a butterfly kick, knocking Jimen off his feet. Rolling sideways from the blow, the Jōnin regained his feet and blocked as Naruto came charging in, then pivoted around the boy as a kunai slipped easily from his holster. The boy disappeared in a way that was not natural, and when he reappeared he was inside Jimen's guard, fist smashing into the Jōnin's mouth.

Staggering away, Jimen shook his head, the attack sequence getting far too familiar for his taste.

Darting forward once more, he made a thrust with his kunai, but the unknown Konoha ninja managed a standing flip over him to land behind. Spinning around, Jimen took a sidekick to the ribs, then a round kick to the face. Jimen recovered and lashed out with another thrust, only to have his wrist caught, but that was fine as Jimen yanked him around with his free hand and slammed the boy into a nearby tree.

The boy pushed the arm he was holding up and away from him, then spun and slipped under the raised arm, jumped and came down, driving a kunai up to the handle into his shoulder. Stumbling away, blood flowing, Jimen clutched at the wounded arm and spun back around, lashing out with a vicious kick, keeping the boy at bay but swearing for being so sloppy.

"Oi, maybe you should surrender. You're wounded."

"It's only a flesh wound." Jimen snarled, producing a kunai with his other hand.

The boy sighed and charged, sweeping his kunai around, but Jimen kicked it out of his hand and then followed up with his own spinning slash, leaving a thin cut along the boys cheek. Grinning, Jimen charged forward before the boy formed a few hand seals and then extended a hand, causing Jimen to run full force into a wall of wind.

Reeling away, he shook his head to clear it, then dodged at the last second as the air around him began slicing into him. Landing in a kneeling position, bleeding from several shallow cuts, he glared up at the boy. Then his mouth went dry as he noticed the cut he had put on the boys cheek had already healed. When had the bastard done that?

"Hehehe, keep fighting and I'll have to kill you," the boy taunted, a sadistic grin on his face.

Snarling, Jimen lunged forward, a right and then a left round-kick whistling through the air, but the boy easily dodged both. Jimen swung with his good arm at the kids head, but his arm was caught in mid-swing before being flipped over the Konoha nin's shoulder. Landing with a pained exhale, Jimen rolled back onto his shoulders, driving both of his feet up into the boy's face and knocking him off his feet.

Rolling into a crouch, Jimen threw his kunai, forcing the Konoha bastard to move and then began forming one-handed seals. Placing hand to earth, he applied his chakra, causing the ground to temporally part and create a hole ten-feet wide and five-feet deep. "Chi Hakaiha no jutsu!" The boy's eyes widened before he jumped, aided apparently by a gust of wind from beneath his feet.

It carried the ninja high overhead, where he twisted a full three-hundred and sixty degrees and came falling back to the earth, elbow aimed right at Jimen. The Iwa ninja reacted just in time to avoid the blow, while forming even more single-handed seals before smacking his hand against the ground, sending out a shockwave to unbalance his enemy.

"Doton: Shougekiha," Jimen gloated, happy to see that the almost forgotten technique was still as effective as ever. The boy recovered soon enough, but the Jōnin was already unleashing his next jutsu, Doton: Iwayari, forcing the boy to perform a nimble bit of footwork to avoid the series of rock spikes that exploded from the ground, attempting to impale him.

Forming a final set of hand seals, the Jōnin soon encased himself within a small enclosure of rock slabs known as 'Ishitoride'. Grasping the kunai still in his shoulder, Jimen yanked it free and then tossing it away, administering the herbs needed to slow the bleeding.

Thankfully, he could take his time. Even a Rasengan would have difficulty breaking through this barrier. No, to reach him, the boy would have to use either lightening or an unusually strong wind jutsu to break through the regenerating walls of this technique.

Still, better safe than sorry. He created a Tsuchi Bunshin to distract the boy. Breathing easier, the Iwa nin took the moment to recover and try to regain his focus. That proved easier said than done when he felt the Tsuchi Bunshin explode violently and then heard the raised voice shouting.

"Oi, either come out and play or go home." At his lack of response, the boy loudly announced an unfamiliar jutsu: "Kazeryuudan no Jutsu!"

Now, being an experienced ninja and having lived through a ninja war, Jimen decided that while he did not know that technique, it would not be smart to remain where he was at. His quick actions saved his life, as he lowered the back wall of his fortress and performed Kawarimi with a nearby boulder.

A second later, the stone fortress was pulverized to sand, a roaring wind dragon twisting through the space to destroy the immediately surrounding area.

Holy. Fuck.

Jimen made a quick decision, hatred for Konoha or not; an absolute desire to see this ninja a broken and bleeding mess at his feet or not, it was time to get the hell out of Dodge. A Konoha ninja that looked eerily similar to that bastard the Yondaime, who could use the Rasengan and who could unleash a dragon made of wind? Dying in the field would not help his village survive an eventually encounter with the boy, because Jimen had a sense of inevitable doom filling him.

After a quick glance confirmed the two Chūnin facing the sword-woman were a lost cause, and he had a feeling the third one facing that other girl would meet a similar fate, he created another Tsuchi Bunshin for distraction.

Then Sekibutsu Jimen, Jōnin of Iwa, ran like hell.

* * *

Hanabi dodged the large fist nimbly, weaving back through the Iwa nin's attacks with a grace that came naturally to her. Her opponent was larger than her, hence heavier and stronger; but Hanabi was faster and equal to his skill level.

Still, she was hesitating to go on the offensive.

Why, Hanabi wasn't sure. All she knew was that the kunai she clutched trembled and at the thought of attacking she would hesitate , just enough to make dodging her only option. Ducking under a right hook, Hanabi moved in to strike with a Jūken to the heart but paused just a fraction of a second, allowing the man to catch her with a back fist. Tumbling away, pain racing along her jaw, Hanabi felt stupid.

What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she bring herself to attack?

Regaining her feet sloppily, Hanabi dodged a low kick followed by a punch; but the combo merely set her up for an elbow aimed at her face. Hanabi performed a Shunshin to dodge. Coming to a stop on the balls of her feet several meters away, Hanabi studied her frustrated opponent and trembled for no discernable reason.

Having been trained for the majority of her early life as a taijutsu specialist allowed her to pick up quickly on other styles. The Iwa nin's style seemed to be based off a low, stable stance and short powerful movements that combined both attack and defense. That knowledge was wasted for as long as she hesitated to attack, but she simply couldn't do so.

Using her kunai, she deflected a series of shuriken that proved childs play after facing off against Naruto for so long. Then the Iwa nin began forming hand seals before the patch of earth between him and her churned into a river of mud, forcing Hanabi to leap up and to the side. Hanabi landed a split second after he completed another series of hand seals and her eyes widened as the mud bubbled up, taking the shape of a dragon's head that began spewing mud projectiles.

Shunshin and Kawarimi moved her through the attack, then expert use of Bunshin no Jutsu bought her time to apply the Meisai Gakure no Jutsu and disappear into a tree overhead. Crouching on the tree branch, breathing heavy, Hanabi glowered down at her opponent, frustrated with her inability to attack. She did feel a stab of appreciation for the Bunshin no Jutsu, something she would have never imagined before.

Still, while she had the time and the man had his hands full trying to remove her Bunshin's, she needed to figure out what her problem was. Why did she keep hesitating? She had told Konohamaru that if it was a choice between her and the enemy that she would kill. Looking at the kunai she held, Hanabi frowned, eyes narrowing. A flash of an innocent face caught her off guard, a tiny gasp and she dropped the weapon out of reflex. Recovering quickly, Hanabi moved just as the enemy focused his attention on the tree she had been in and reduced it to toothpicks. Another Bunshin drew his attention away from his search for her and granted Hanabi the chance to recover.

Emi haunted her. Because of her actions, Hanabi's mind and heart were at war over her actions. She had become a liability to both Konoha and her sensei. But how could she fix that? Now that she had become aware of her problem, she found it impossible to stop her hands from shaking. Oh, kami, she couldn't do this...

She would die here.

Naruto, the man she had promised to never fail; Hanabi could picture his regret and disappointment when he found her body. It chilled her. Her trembling grew worse, emotions in such conflict that her Meisai Gakure crumbled, leaving her exposed once the man realized the Bunshin no longer existed.

She would die here.

_If I die, then so does my dream,_ Hanabi thought wildly, wrapping her arms around her midsection trying to still her trembling. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to stop the tears. She didn't want to die, she didn't want to die, she didn't want-

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," the enemy said from below. "I'm going to find you, and when I do, I'll show you what happens to Konoha bitches."

__

"Imouto, you're stronger than this," a voice that sounded like Naruto whispered to her. "Stand up and make me proud."

An epiphany stole over her at those words, one that made the trembling and tears stop. All this time, it hadn't been just her murder of Emi that haunted her, but an unspoken question. Why did she have to die? sat poised as a mask for the real question, and the answer came like a bolt of lightning, one that would forever change Hanabi.

Because Naruto said so.

It was that simple, really. The man that had trained and protected her, who treated her as family, as a sister, had believed the need existed. That was Hanabi's answer, all she needed. No more running or acting like a stupid academy student. She would make Naruto proud, and she would become the best tool a sensei could desire.

Selecting a new kunai, she leapt to the gound just as her enemy destroyed the tree she had been cloistered in. Landing in a crouch, Hanabi hurled her kunai. The Iwa ninja deflected it and Hanabi dodged left with a Shunshin as the nin launched a Ninjutsu that decimated the ground before her. Shifting directions, Hanabi darted in, slipping easily beneath his punch and driving a palm heel into the older nin's stomach.

Hn! The man grunted before he lunged, swinging down with a great deal of force at Hanabi, who nimbly moved aside. The ground cratered from impact, but the Iwa nin didn't give up. Hanabi swerved and avoided everything neatly as ever.

"Hold still you Konoha bitch!" the Iwa ninja shouted, his frustration getting the better of him.

Hanabi remained silent, but stood motionless as he covered the length of the clearing. Hanabi caught his punch and pivoted, bracing her right leg against his left and yanked, flipping him even as his weight strained her muscles. The man landed in a heap, but quickly regained his feet, an oddly designed kunai lunging for her face.

Hanabi repeated the trick, this time disarming him. The man regained his feet and glowered at her, his voice growing more irate. "I am not going to be defeated by a Genin!

"Yes, you are." Hanabi said calmly, the decision made.

The Iwa ninja closed the distance quickly, trying to fake her out with a kick. Hanabi placed a hand against his knee as it came up and then jumped, bringing her own foot up and alongside his jaw. The impact was jarring, but Hanabi flipped clear and spun, while the man twisted away with a few stumbling steps. A moment later, Hanabi pivoted and threw the kunai she had taken from the man, catching him in the temple. The Iwa ninja dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.

Hanabi let out a deep breath before relaxing. A moment later she felt a hand touch her shoulder and looked up to find Naruto beside her, grinning faintly.

"Tsuru-chan, that was great," he said, before he approached the body.

"Thank you, Sensei," Hanabi said, pride filling her with a heady flush even as her adrenaline faded.

Hanabi waited patiently for him to finish his business with the body and when he handed her the bloody kunai and the ryou he recovered she smiled up at him. "Do you think I could learn the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu now?"

"After we set up camp," Naruto said, ruffling her hair fondly. "Come on, Tsuru-chan."

Turning, both ninja started back, walking in companionable silence toward the waiting Shinobi.

* * *

The Iwa ninja lunged, three-bladed kunai gleaming, but Ino spun aside. The blades passed her ribs and the boy shot past her back. The Iwa ninja tried to stop and turn, but it was too late. Ino neatly ended his life with a stab through the back, blade exiting grotesquely through his chest. With an emotionless grunt, Ino pulled the blade free, slinging blood from it as the body tumbled forward.

"Tch," Ino muttered, bringing her blade up to wipe it clean with a cloth, casting an annoyed look at the two dead Chūnin. It had been too easy. Hell, she wasn't winded or even sweating. Sheathing her sword with a shake of her head, Ino glanced around to see how Naruto was doing, but found only a hint of the battle he had engaged. There was no body, nor Naruto, and she wondered about that for a moment before Naruto came strolling from her left, Hanabi walking beside him, both discussing what appeared to be a jutsu.

"You okay?" Ino asked, moving to meet the two.

"Well, my Jōnin ran away on me," Naruto admitted with a pout. "We didn't even get to really fight. He seemed to be distracted about something, but Hanabi here took out that Chūnin easy."

"I merely performed to the best of my abilities," Hanabi said casually with a shrug. "He was poorly trained. Obviously, so where the ones Yamanaka-san fought, considering the lack of battle fatigue she is displaying."

"Yeah, they were pushovers." Ino admitted, unsure of whether she liked the girl or found her annoying. Hanabi's manner of speech was calm, precise and always polite, but at times laced heavily with acidic sarcasm. Despite that, the girl wasn't too bad, though Ino wondered about the body language she was picking up from the younger girl toward Naruto.

"Oi, so I guess we better get goin and see who those Suna guys are, huh?" Naruto asked, stretching while grinning.

"I guess," Ino sighed, then grinned at Naruto. "Oh, and don't forget, even if that Jōnin ran away, you still have to cook me dinner."

"Huh? Hey, no fair!" Naruto protested, scowling at her.

"Hey, you promised," Ino countered with a shrug. "Come on, you take point since I did it-"

"I can take point," Hanabi offered and, at Inos look, explained, "I wish to try the jutsu Naruto-_sensei_ taught me on our way back here."

"Okay," Ino agreed, feeling dubious and wondering why Hanabi had stressed the word sensei. Still, there was no danger in letting the girl take point and all three set out in V-formation once more, with Hanabi leading the way.

After a few minutes, Ino turned to Naruto, raising an eyebrow. "She seem different to you?"

"Eh, not really," Naruto said, smiling back. "I think she just had to work through something."

"Okay," Ino said before rubbing at her elbow absently. "So, what Jutsu did you teach her?"

"Hakken no Jutsu," Naruto said. "I learned it from Anko before we left Konoha. It's pretty simple for a hidden technique and its only C-rank. I think she said it comes from the Inuzuka or something like that. Anyway, by concentrating a high amount of Chakra to the ear, nose or eyes, you can increase that sensory organs ability by a hundred times. I can sharpen my hearing pretty good with it, so I figure Hanabi can-"

"Can use it to sharpen her sight," Ino interrupted, eyes widening at the implication. "As a Hyūga, her optic nerves are already more developed than normal. Using this would give her a type of basic Byakugan, maybe increase it a thousand fold depending on the amount of charka she used."

"That's what I figured," Naruto admitted. "It'll have to do until I talk with Ero-sennin about ways of undoing that stupid sealing of her bloodline. I'm pretty good at seals, but he's a master."

"Naruto-kun, you can't just unseal her bloodline," Ino said, startled. "It was sealed by the Hyūga Clan. The Hyūga would have the final say about the control of that bloodline within Konoha."

"Key word: within," Naruto countered with a sly grin. "Outside of Konoha, they can't control shit concerning Hanabi."

"Iunno if that'll work," Ino admitted, chewing her lip absently, "but its an interesting loophole."

"Heh heh, thanks."

They travelled in silence for a while, a leisurely stroll this time, Hanabi saying nothing. Ino mused about what she had learned and realized that, unlike what Hinata and others might have thought, Naruto actually did seem to be giving his job as a sensei considerable effort. He was working on a way to help Hanabi out while teaching the girl how to be a serious ninja.

Obviously, the girl was unbelievable loyal to him now, if that look from earlier was any indication. Most importantly, Ino didn't notice any sign of him repressing his anger. Thinking about that, she glanced at him and decided to break the silence that had settled over the group. "Naruto-kun, the Hokage said that you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Oh, yeah, but later," Naruto said, glancing at her. "After we meet the Suna patrol and set up camp, okay? I already talked about it a little with Hanabi on our way back and she agreed, saying she trusted my judgment."

"Well, I have something to talk to you about to," Ino said seriously. "Its about Unity."

"Unity?" Naruto asked, a sudden chill sweeping over Ino as she registered his reaction. Looking at her, his eyes were flat and cold, allowing his more murderous side to shine through. "What about them?"

"They approached me about joining," Ino said, feeling more than a little unnerved. "They offered to make me Jōnin, Captain and make sure my pay was far larger than normal."

"Why?"

"Because they want to talk with you," Ino said, shivering despite her best efforts. "I don't know why they wanted to get me to set things up with you, but they do. Anyway, the Hokage told me to tell you about the meeting so that when we get back we can all figure out how to use it to our advantage."

Naruto was silent for several moments before he grinned. "Sounds like a plan, Ino-chan. Anything to get you working under me."

Raising an eyebrow at his passive display of flirting, Ino snorted. "Maybe you'll be under me, though I'm sure I'll be doing all the work in either position."

"Wh-wha!? Naruto managed, blushing brightly, and Ino mentally applauded her victory.

"I see them," Hanabi said, bringing them to a halt just within the tree line. "There are four of them: three males and one female. She is carrying a large fan, one of the males has an unusual gourd, and another is dressed as a Jōnin, and the last has something mummified on his back."

"Eh?" Naruto asked, squinting through the tree branches, then grinned at Hanabi. "I guess that jutsu is really working. I can barely see a group of shadows."

"I think we should go greet them," Ino said, smiling and patting Hanabi's shoulder as they walked into the clearing, assuming an inverted V-formation. Shifting into complete mission mode, Ino's mind started picking out details as they approached the river bank. Two figures were close to her height, one was about as tall as Asuma and the last seemed to be about the same size as Naruto. Moving closer, the ANBU and future Jōnin started picking up even more details, impressed that Hanabi had been able to see so much from such a distance.

"That guy in the center looks sorta familiar," Naruto muttered, squinting. "Hanabi, what's he look like?"

"The one with the gourd?" Hanabi asked. "Short reddish hair, green eyes. He has a kanji on his forehead-"

"Gaara?" Naruto said, eyes widening in surprise.

Ino felt a chill worse than when Naruto had heard about Unity, a three-year-old fear clutching at her heart with ragged claws. Gaara had been the one that transformed into the demon during her first Chūnin exam, the one that had put Naruto in the hospitals intensive care. A boy that was cold, ruthless and wanted to kill everything in a bloody display of violence.

"Uzumaki-san, I didn't expect you to be on this patrol," the tall man with the half-hidden face said, red markings on his broad face just visible beneath the cloth, as both teams reached their respective banks.

"Hey, its my students first high rank mission," Naruto said with a shrug. "Besides, I wanted to fight an Iwa ninja. I've never gotten to do that before. It was fun."

"Iwa ninja?" the boy in the dark jumpsuit with his face painted up in purple asked.

"Yea, back that-a-way, Naruto said, waving a hand behind them before shrugging. I guess they were planning on ambushing you guys or something. So, how you guys been?"

Ino tuned out the rest of the conversation, noting the girl in the dark kimono who stood close enough to the emotionless redhead to make Ino wonder about if they were lovers or not. Even that was not the true focus of her attention: Gaaras flat, green eyes were fixated on Naruto. With the danger to Naruto, Ino was surprised at how sharp her senses seemed to become, it was almost unnatural the way she heard the wind as it played through the individual blades of grass.

Then she saw the girl put a hand, unnoticed by the others, on Gaara's shoulder. His eyes narrowed then focused his attention on her, as if marking her. Ino returned it, unwilling to flinch under his gaze, ready for an attack against any of them. Yet none came, and soon enough Ino was pulled back to the conversation as Naruto started waving a hand in front of her face.

"Oi, Ino-chan, come on, we're leaving to set up camp."

Nodding, Ino remained silent, then slowly backed away even though Naruto and Hanabi had turned their backs. Ino refused to take a chance with the bastard and it wasn't until she slipped into the trees that she checked both of her teammates locations. Then turning, Ino found Naruto giving her a curious look, a tiny grin on her face.

"What?" Ino asked, moving next to him.

"Nothing."

"Good," Ino said, but then noticed Hanabi's own tiny smile and glowered at the younger girl. "You're cooking tonight, princess."

"Of course." Hanabi sighed in a tone of long sufferance as they set out for the location Naruto had picked.

* * *

Camp was not an impressive sight, nothing more than a small fire in the middle of a clearing about half a mile from the river bank. Off to the right, Hanabi slumbered in blissful silence for the first time in a few days, while Ino sat to the left tending to her Kodachi. Naruto sat close to the fire, sketching the outline of his counter-genjutsu seal in preparation for applying it. The only sound was the crackling fire and the occasional snore from Hanabi.

"So, you said you had something to talk to me about?" Ino asked and Naruto looked up from his seal, finding the girl settling herself next to him with an expectant look on her face.

"Yeah," Naruto said putting the final touch on the seal before turning to her. It took all of ten minutes to explain the situation about Unity, ANBU, and what the Hokage wanted. After he finished they both fell silent; Ino deep in thought while Naruto rechecked the seal to ensure that it wouldn't suck all of his chakra out or kill him in some other equally painful way.

"Do you really think this Niju Shōtai needs to be formed?" Ino asked after a moment, glancing at him. "At least, the way he wants to form it? Why not use the ANBU he trusts to form it?"

"Well," Naruto said, looking up at her curiously, considering the point she raised, "ANBU are black ops, right? None of you guys actually know what each other look like or your real names. I mean, well Anko and Ibiki are known, but they're supposed to be. So I guess it has to be this way cause otherwise-"

"Otherwise he'd run the risk of a Unity member impersonating one of the Niju Shōtai." Ino finished, shaking her head. "Kami, I need to sleep if I can't even figure that out."

"S'ok, I had to stop and think too," Naruto admitted with a grin, before turning back to his seal.

"Yeah, but you're you, I'm supposed to be smarter than that." Ino muttered, smirking.

"Hey, you're a blonde and you're a girl," Naruto countered with a snort of laughter, "whereas I'm both a blond and a guy. I'm one percent smarter than you."

"And yet I'm the one that noticed the psychotic killer glaring at you," Ino countered dryly. "Kami, what are you? Blind?"

"Well, he's Gaara; of course he was glaring at me," Naruto said with a shrug.

"Yeah, well if it wasn't for his sister, you'd probably be crushed to death or something," Ino said, flicking dirt off her knee. "Though, I gotta say, if I just went by her body language, they seemed more like lovers than brother and sister."

"Eh?" Naruto blinked, looking up at her blankly. What was she talking about? Gaara and Temari lovers? He almost made a joke, but then paused, thinking about it. Hadn't he overheard Jiraiya mention something along those lines as well?

"Naruto-kun?"

"Well, I'll be damned," Naruto muttered, before shaking his head. "Ino-chan, that's why he was mellower when I met him. I remember Ero-sennin saying something about 'Suna letting the boy sleep with an expendable female he was close to'. Temari would be the only expendable female he'd be close to in Suna and you said just by body language youd think they were lovers."

"Wait, you mean Gaara really is-"

"Yup, hes banging his sister!" Naruto exclaimed with a chuckle, before all the implications set in. Scowling, he shook his head, wondering if Temari was being forced into the relationship. He couldnt say for sure though, because the last time they had met the girl had thanked him and told him 'I'm doing what I can to help my brother'.

Crap, it was complicated.

"So, theyre, that just, how could they?" Ino muttered, shaking her head, a look of disgust on her face.

"I think she might be doing it just to help her brother out," Naruto said, now that the concept was in place not caring too much beyond if she was being forced or not. Honestly, he had too many more important things going on a group of S-rank ninja after him, trying to make Jōnin while keeping the fact that he was the living prison for a demon secret, dealing with Unity, Hanabi, and, of course, the Niju Shōtai. So, in Narutos esteemed opinion, what two consenting adults were doing was the last thing he cared about.

Still, its just weird if you ask me, Ino said, shaking her head.

Eh, maybe, but theyre both adults and its not really our business. We have more important things to think about."

"Yeah, but hes a psycho! That's what makes it so messed up, I mean - this is Gaara."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto agreed tiredly, turning back to the subject of the Niju Shōtai. "So, are you willing to join?"

"Well, if you and the Hokage think this group needs to be formed, then yeah," Ino agreed, setting aside her protest. "I'm with you and the Hokage. Just no assassinations. I only ever did one, and I realized just how much Im _not_ suited for it."

Dont worry, Naruto said with a false smile knowing the sad truth that he, Anko and Hanabi would most likely be handling those missions for the Niju Shōtai. So, we'll let masked perv know you joined up after we get back, along with talking about Unity's offer."

Sounds good, and after that you can cook me that tomato pudding.

Of course, Naruto agreed, smiling for real this time. "Thanks for joining, Ino-chan. I really appreciate it."

"No biggie, Naruto-kun," Ino admitted, before nodding at the seal he had been working on. "So, what is that?"

"This?" Naruto asked, turning back to the seal in question. "Its a seal, probably an A-rank one."

"Okay, and what does it do?" Ino asked, bumping his shoulder playfully.

"Well, basically, it'll detect genjutsu, cause I'm hopeless at it, and counter by flaring my chakra to the appropriate level to disrupt the flow," Naruto explained, before creating a Kage Bunshin to have it start applying said seal to his forehead. "I'm calling it Zoukan Fuin: Genjutsu Kai."

"So, its going to automatically free you from genjutsu?" Ino asked, sounding impressed as she watched the clone work.

"Well, that's the plan. I won't know until I actually apply it and then have a genjutsu cast on me." Naruto said, flashing her a grin then braced himself as the clone finished and dispersed. Gathering his chakra, a little worried that things were about to blow up in his face, he placed his hand against his forehead and released the chakra, activating the seal.

There was an odd tingling sensation, and then it felt like his head was being split open or razor sharp talons were sinking into his brain. Letting out a muffled scream, he clutched his head and fell over, twitching in pain. His body felt like it was seizing up, the pain kept growing and growing, then suddenly it was over and he laid in the dirt, mouth filled with blood and vision swimming.

Slowly, painfully, he rolled over and then sat up with the assistance of Ino. Hacking he spat the blood clear, three times, then realized he couldn't speak, he panicked for a moment then finally his voice came back and he looked at her. "Okay, not my most brilliant idea."

"Kami, I thought you were dying." Ino admitted, an extremely worried look on her face and her tone almost shaking. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Naruto croaked, head throbbing. "I think..."

"Hey, I don't see it," Ino said, eyes widening.

"Heh, good," Naruto said, feeling the pain fade slightly as the Kyūbi kicked up the healing. "I designed it to hide when not in use. The rest of the time I can hide it behind my forehead protector."

"Oh, well why the hell did you even create the damn thing?" Ino asked, worry making her snap.

"Ero-sennin told me I'd never get countering genjutsu down. I've sorta been working on it for awhile, and once I realized that my Kage Bunshin trick wouldn't keep working, as Anko has been so kind to demonstrate repeatedly lately, I started really focusing on it."

"So...either you kill yourself trying to stop a genjutsu user you haven't met yet, or you wait until said genjutsu user shows up and kills you." Ino drawled before shaking her head. "Well, at least you're thinking ahead."

"I always think ahead," Naruto countered, glancing at her, "its just that sometimes I don't think quite _this_ far ahead."

"A very in-the-moment type of guy." Ino confirmed with a nod, grinning.

"Exactly, why worry about what'll happen tomorrow when you can enjoy today?" Naruto quoted, before realizing they were sitting very close together, alone and talking about living in the moment. An expectant silence settled over them and the two near-Jōnin glanced at each other, Naruto gathering his courage and turned as if to make a move, when the air was filled by the sound of a loud explosion.

"Aww fuck!" Naruto growled, head snapping around as Ino sprang to her feet and Hanabi quickly scrambled out from her sleeping bag.

* * *

****

AN:

__

Zoukan Fuin: Genjutsu Kai [Special Edition Sealing Method: Illusion Technique Release]

Hakken no Jutsu [Detection Technique]

Hi Ninja: Formerly referred to as Hi no Kuni ninja. These are the Fire Country sponsored ninja, basically equivalent to a National Guard or Home Guard.

Note: Concerning the Temari/Gaara are lovers bit, to be completely upfront about it, yes they are.

Gaara is Jinchūriki, and seen as little more than an unstable, but ultimately still a useful weapon. Jinchūriki normally have little to no emotional ties to people, and lovers are unheard of. As Naruto comments this chapter, Jinchūriki are called 'eta' a very derogatory term that basically means 'filthy one' so nobody would _want_ to be their lover.

However, since Gaara is unstable and violent, having entered adulthood (by Suna standards) the Kazekage decided to avoid the brutal rapes/murders he could see from Gaara trying to have his way. A logical decision honestly, as giving Gaara a lover would also tie him closer to the village and make him less likely to turn on them.

Of course, the problem is selecting the proper girl. Which Suna woman would do the task? What family would willingly _allow_ their daughter to be subjected to a brutal monster? There wouldn't be one, even orphans would not work because it needs to be a Kuonichi so that she could have the proper mindset to handle the horror's of being his lover and avoid the high risk of suicide.

What is needed then is A) a kunoichi the village wouldn't care about, B) have enough of a bond with Gaara to survive and C) would not end her life immediately upon discovering her fate. So you can see, following this train of thought, that Temari is the only choice that meets all those requirements. It also, to an extent, sets an example of the Kazekage's willingness to suffer for his village.

There are no details given as to how those involved, Temari or Gaara, feel about this relationship. To keep things brief, Temari believes she is doing the only thing she can to help both her village and her youngest sibling cope. Gaara's emotions and thoughts are a mystery and probably always will be to an extent.

Hopefully that explains the situation and allows for you to accept this pairing, if not I'm sorry.


	14. Chapter 12: Crimson Clouds

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 12:  
-_Crimson Clouds_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

They were moving quickly through the trees, standard V-formation with Hanabi at point, thanks to her Hakken no Jutsu. The silence between the three of them was tangible. After the initial explosion, they hadn't heard anything, but Naurto insisted on checking it out. Ino held to her private theory that either the Suna ninja were luring them into a trap or were fighting with another Iwa team.

Naruto wouldn't say what he thought, but from the way his jaw muscles were clenching and unclenching, Ino felt he expected the worse. Ino chewed her bottom lip, wishing that she had thought better of bringing Tsukiha along. A simple patrol mission, a few minor skirmishes, Ino had figured Tuskiha would be fine. Besides, she missed its familiar presence.

If they encountered something too dangerous, this would most likely be the end of her friend. Ino glanced at Naruto, wondering what he knew or sensed but doubting he would tell her. Naruto was keeping secrets from her, and she might have been hurt had she been a few years younger. Having grown up as an active ninja, training to join ANBU and become Jōnin, Ino accepted it. Besides, she was doing the same thing. It went with the territory: Some secrets you just couldn't share, no matter how close you were to someone.

"Sensei," Hanabi said breaking the silence "I can see two people ahead. They seem to be waiting for something and also appear to be wearing cloaks."

Ino raised an eyebrow, preparing to ask Naruto about what he thought before she registered the blur of Naruto darting ahead of them, flinging his arms wide to bar their path. Hanabi, who had been in the process of leaping toward the next tree increased the chakra in the foot still in contact with branch and awkwardly recoiled back. Ino made the final jump to land on the branch next to the younger girl, studying Naruto, who had turned to glare at the barely visible shadow figures ahead of them.

"Hanabi, are you _sure_ they have cloaks?" Naruto asked after a moment, his tone laced with concern.

"Of course," Hanabi said. "The forest is dark, but with the Hakken no Jutsu combined with my eyes, I can quite clearly see cloaks."

"Do they have clouds on them?" Naruto almost snapped, turning on her.

"I-I cannot tell, Sensei. Even for me there is not enough light." Hanabi admitted, looking taken back by his change in attitude.

"Naruto-kun, what is it?" Ino asked, worried about the reaction. It did not bode well when a boy that could stop a demon alone and had trained with a Sannin for three years grew concerned about their opponent.

"We can't risk it," Naruto muttered, utterly ignoring Ino's question before turning to address Hanabi. "Listen, I want you to swing wide to the left and keep going. Find the Suna ninja and help out however you can, but don't fight anyone! Especially if they're in a cloak with clouds on it."

"Our mission is not-" Hanabi started to say before Naruto cut her off.

"The Hokage gave us orders to handle enemies as we saw fit. Trust me, these guys are not friends and I would rather not get you killed by stupidly letting you face an S-rank criminal."

"S-rank?" Hanabi asked, her tone growing distant "I-I, Naruto-sensei..."

"You heard him princess," Ino clipped out.

The girl glanced at her, then back at Naruto, who nodded curtly. Hinabi turned took off in the direction ordered.

Once the girl was gone, Ino moved to stand next to Naruto and stare at the two shadow figures, who had yet to move from their distant tree. "You know who these guys are, don't you?"

"Yeah," Naruto admitted sourly. "They're from a group called Akatsuki, and each member is S-rank. Don't you remember? I told you about them before I left three years ago."

Ino's eyes widened, glancing at him then back at the two distant shadowy figures. "What are we going to do?"

"We'll split up," Naruto said simply, starting to move at a slightly less urgent pace "I'm the target they'll be after, so I'll most likely draw the strongest one away."

"Wouldn't it be better to stick together? That way our combative and defensive power would be combined, right?"

"So would theirs," Naruto offered, eyes narrowing. "I think we'd each stand a better chance of surviving this by each of us fighting a single S-rank ninja, rather than fighting a pair that have had three years to work together."

"Okay," Ino said, nodding, grudgingly accepting his reasoning. "Just so you know, I'm not happy with this idea of splitting up."

"Me either, but all our high level techniques would run the risk of hurting each other, and I never wanna hurt you." Naruto admitted, before they came to a stop just across from the two figures.

Dread filled Ino as she analyzed their opponents. The one on the left was taller and broader, with what she thought was blue skin and a grin full of too sharp teeth. However, his most distinguishing feature was the large sword, almost twice as tall as she was, that lay slung across his shoulders. Obviously, he would prefer straight forward, brute strength combat. The other man seemed oddly detached from the moment, and his only real distinguishing feature was that of a knee-length, high collared cloak decorated with red clouds, which both men wore.

She couldn't even guess what sort of combat style he had.

"Aha, you were right," the one with the sword said, addressing the other man, a pale and nondescript person who had his eyes closed. "Deidara's little fireworks display drew him right to us. Gotta admit though he don't look like much."

There was a moment of silence and then the shorter man opened his eyes, revealing what appeared to be a pair of three-tomoe Sharigan's. Ino registered that fact with alarm, knowing the man by reputation alone Uchiha Itachi. The single most dangerous missing-nin Konoha had ever produced, elder brother to Uchiha Sasuke, and rumored to have been a candidate for Godaime Hokage.

"Naruto-kun, would you mind coming with us?" Itachi asked with a deadpan tone.

"I would like to, really," Naruto said, before forming a seal to release a Fūton: Daitoppia, which ripped a path of mayhem and chaos through the forest before them and straight into their adversaries. No sooner had it finished, when Naruto took off in the other direction. "Unfortunately, I've got other plans."

Ino could only gape at the destruction wrought. A toppled tree trembled before being heaved aside, revealing the large man.

Itachi emerged from behind him, looking unimpressed. Without a second glance at her Itachi took off.

Ino, shivering, dropped to the ground across from her opponent, drawing her sword and adopting a ready stance.

"Heh, I told him we should have cut his legs off," the man offered conversationally, before giving Ino a vicious smile. "Staying to fight or flirt?"

"Fight," Ino countered sourly, stomach tightening. "Big sword you got there."

"Samehada," the man said fondly, lifting the bandaged weapon to point at her. "He likes you. I didn't think Konoha's Hitokiri would be so young."

"You know, its funny," Ino said, shifting Tsukiha into a defensive position, "with a sword _that_ big, I'd say you were trying to compensate for something."

"How about we make this interesting, Hitokiri?" the man said mockingly, tossing his sword over head and rapidly formed a series of hand seals.

Ino darted forward, intent on taking advantage of the opening, when he placed the tips of his fingers next to mouth and spewed a current of water that slammed into her chest and sent her flipping backwards.

Landing in a heap, Ino scrambled back to her feet and spun to find the man snatching his sword out of the air. An abrupt spin and he had the massive weapon resting across his shoulder, bearing sharp teeth as he smiled widely. "You'll have to be faster than that, Hitokiri."

* * *

Temari dodged back quickly, hair fluttering in the wind as she brought her fan around, scattering the descending clay bugs away from her. One connected with another and set off a chain reaction of explosions, forcing her to dodge backwards. Landing with a skid, she looked up, breathing heavily.

High over head, a cloaked figure circled on the back of a large white bird, intent on capturing Gaara. This man had managed to catch them while they were sleeping. More to the point, he had managed to sneak past Baki, who had been on watch. The camp had erupted in chaos, decimated by explosions, leaving large craters, splatters of blood and body parts in their wake.

Temari fought the urge to retch from the images engraved into her memory Baki having a swarm of clay bugs flood his mouth, his throat bulging and then his stomach distending, before he exploded in a bloody exhibition; her brothers puppets destroyed in a matter of minutes before his entire left arm and right hand joined the wooden body parts on the ground.

Kankuros whimpers just barely reached her between explosions, but there was nothing Temari could do for him, other than put him out of his misery. Right now, she had to help Gaara as best she could. He was floating high overhead on a circling cloud of sand, attempting to kill the enemy.

Studying the situation, she frowned. So far, her distractions had proved futile, because the cloaked bastard would just toss a few exploding ants or birds at her and continue his fight against Gaara.

What she needed, Temari decided, was the high ground. Leaping up into the branches of a nearby tree, Temari quickly scaled the towering wooden giant before exploding out of the foliage and to the tip of the tree. Looking out and around, the blonde spotted the two battling ninja and grinned tightly, bringing her fan up and around to her left-hand side.

Timing it so that their battle brought them close enough, Temari made the leap out into nothingness and then whipped her fan to the right, creating a massive blast of slicing wind imbued with her chakra. "Dai Kamaitachi!" The man turned at the shout, then instinctively jumped clear of the attack, allowing the wind to tear into the bird.

A moment later the bird was ripped apart as it exploded with a concessive blast, Temari's downward decent was altered into a raising ascent. Grunting the Suna Kunoichi twisted in the air, then swore when she found the man already on another flying bird and heading for her. He changed directions abruptly when, luckily, a wall of sand came between them.

Beginning to descend once more, Temari brought her fan under her and using the currents drifted back to the earth. The wall of sand only moved after she had started her downward movement and Temari grinned, realizing that Gaara had been watching out for her. Then her grin faded as she discovered a dozen small clay grasshoppers landing on her fan, realization set in, and she toppled over the edge just as they went off, destroying her fan.

Her decent was now accelerated from the blast and she crashed into the earth with a heavy thud. The wind had been driven out of her and she had to gasp for air, but rolled to her side and then slipped in a pool of blood as she tried to regain her upright position. Trying once more, Temari stood and then dodged back as several more of those explosive creatures came toward her.

Realizing the danger, because these things were homing in on her, Temari raised her hand as if to strike with her fan. Then jumping as a group leapt for her, Temari magically seemed to produce a smaller fan, more typical of a geisha, and slashed it through the air, knocking them away where they exploded among their peers. Landing, Temari produced another fan with a flick of her other wrist and crossed them before her. She was now limited in ability due to the loss of her large fan, but she was far from defeated.

Temari grinned with relish, already planning a counterattack.

Dodging away, while releasing smaller and accurate blasts of wind to scatter the exploding bugs, Temari moved into the surrounding forest. The exploding creatures followed her relentlessly, exploding only when she blew them away. It was a merry little chase through the woods, up trees, and then out into the air as the man passed below her. He was now missing an arm and seemed more unhinged than ever. So when she landed on his flying bird unannounced, he was completely startled.

Temari acted quickly, slashing a fan in a downward diagonal blow across the freaks chest, making him flinch back, and then she jumped away. A moment later, the homing creatures landed on the flying bird. Temari twisted once more and blew the first group to leap at her back at the others. The resulting chain reaction hurled Temari to the ground, but also had the desired effect of finally doning away with the fool.

Landing, Temari leapt backward into a flip, arms crossing before her, holding the fans in a ready position.

"Art is a bang, yeah," a voice said from a tree overhead.

Temari looked up in wide-eyed surprise to discover the one-armed man staring down at her.

But you're getting in the way of my masterpiece, yeah."

Further conversation was cut off as the massive arm of Shukaku tore through the tree after the bombing ninja, who was on the move creating another flying bird and returning to the sky. Fearful, Temari looked around at Gaara, but found her younger brother normal. He hadn't transformed into the demon, he had just formed the sand he carried into that shape. Breathing easier, she offered him a smile, but the boy didn't return it and instead focused on killing his enemy once more.

Still, Temari knew he loved her. Because he had protected her, that meant she was important to him and that made her very special. She alone could boast such a connection to Sabaku no Gaara, Jinchūriki of Suna, psychotic killer and her lover. Gathering her second wind, Temari narrowed her eyes and started moving along beneath the two, trying to figure out some way to assist her brother out once more.

* * *

The forest was quiet, at least until a sudden orange and black blur shot through the dark foliage. A blur of black and red followed, barely rustling a single leaf as it gave chase. Naruto's heart thundered in his ears, his breathing growing more haggard.

He hadn't expected to be doing this, which had been so very stupid. Naruto had known Akatsuki were on the move, had known he would be a target, but he hadn't thought they would come after him so soon and with so many other ninja around. He should have more common sense than this, damn it!

He didn't glance over his shoulder and, despite not getting visual confirmation, he could feel the oppressive presence of his pursuer closing the distance between them. Scowling, Naruto tried to eke out more speed from his Adobansudo Shunshin, for all the good it did him. His personal hunter, Uchiha Itachi, gained ground with each passing second.

If he wanted to reach Gaara and help out, he would have to deal with this fucker first, but where? Not in the trees, the ground of course, but the added problem were those eyes the Uchiha had. They could copy and ready anything he did, plus Itachi would have much more experience using them than Sasuke and Naruto had no way of even guessing at how the man would react.

He needed to neutralize them.

He thought for one long moment about that, before the world seemed to shift, but that could have just been from the speed of his travel. Then he saw the vague outline of a figure forming in the branches ahead of him and Naruto prepared to dodge when his mind 'popped', as if a sudden pressure had been relived. The figure was gone and Naruto kept going, before realizing it had been genjutsu and that the seal on his forehead had worked. He stumbled however, as a sudden exhaustion stole over him. Eyes growing heavy he yawned, slowing, before his mind 'popped' once more and an unknown, but sudden, pressure dissipated.

Recovering, Naruto swore and shot forward, increasing his speed. That was the second time his genjutsu countering seal had saved his life. Still, that had been close and he couldn't risk wasting more chakra trying to outrace the Uchiha bastard. Weither he knew how to counter the Sharingan or not, he had to face Itachi.

Channeling chakra to his eyes, the world suddenly came into sharp focus and he could just make out what appeared to be a clearing ahead. That would work, and allowing the jutsu to fade he considered using his Onijutsu Akuma Funnu.

It might help him catch the bastard by surprise, but he could only use it safely for ten minutes. Abruptly, he exploded into the clearing, opening the empathic link he shared with the Kyūbi. He drowned beneath the unquenchable rage and hate that funneled through him, shoving him to a level of speed and power not normally seen.

Landing in spray of earth, Naruto pivoted unnaturally and shot back toward Itachi who was still airborne. Itachi did not even have half a heart-beat before Naruto slammed into him. The Akatsuki agent flipped from the blow, twisting himself around to rebound off a tree and land, Naruto however, arrived a half-second later, face twisted in sheer rage.

Shifting his body weight onto the forward leg Naruto threw his left leg forward gaining momentum. A second later his right leg locked as it came around in a sweeping arc connecting with Itachi's chin. Landing, Naruto shifted his stance and shot forward, hammering an elbow into the side of the man's head, followed by a rapid series of punches.

Itachi stumbled from the reign of his fury and Naruto didn't let up. He pushed to the edge of fury, tearing into the man as he had never torn into anyone before. He would rend him limb from limb, see the man's blood soak the world around him, hear those screams, savor the satisfaction of killing his hated enemy.

Ducking under a hook punch from Itachi, Naruto grabbed the man's cloaked shoulder and jumped, driving his forehead into Itachi's face. Landing in a crouch, he watched with unbelievable focus as the Uchiha stumbled away, blood coating his features. He felt a sharp surge of loathing urging him to unleash the full fury he had inside him, to burn this man and those like him to ash with the flames of his hate.

Naruto had enough experience with this onijutsu that he knew he was pushing the limits of staying safe. If it went on any longer, he would start unleashing the Kyūbi and that would hardly benefit anyone. Taking a deep breath, Naruto forcible severed the empathic link between them.

His head swam for a moment, as it always did in this situation, which left him a sitting duck. Itachi quickly capitalized on that, a front-kick slamming into his face, followed by a series of rapid punches that snapped bones and then a sharp knife-hand to the side of his neck that sent Naruto twisting through the air before landing heavily, face first on the ground.

Naruto scrambled back to his feet, then evaded to the right as he sensed an attack. Turning, he expertly slipped a punch and came up inside Itachi's guard, hammering an upset-elbow to the man's chin. Itachi flipped, legs coming up and round to catch Naruto in the chin and send him stumbling back from the blow.

Recovering, Naruto found Itachi already on top of him, a punch hammering into his shoulder then a round-kick to his already hurt ribs. Wincing, Naruto went with the blow. He ducked, spinning with a kick, but Itachi caught his heel, shoving Naruto back into the earth.

"I expected more, Naruto-kun," Itachi intoned emotionlessly. "Even for a Jinchūriki, you are weak."

"I'm not a Jinchūriki," Naruto growled, clenching his fists as he slowly forced his way to his hands and knees, a coppery taste in his mouth.

"Oh? And what are you then?" Itachi asked, his voice still emotionless.

"A ninja," Naruto growled, fingers digging into the earth as he stood, keeping his back to the man.

"Ah," Itachi said dryly. "Be that as it may, you should give up now."

Suddenly spinning, Naruto shot forward, using a lingering trace of the rage from the Kyūbi, ducking a punch he came up within Itachi's guard once more as if for an uppercut, but instead opened his hand flinging dirt in the man's eyes. Itachi stumbled, hand coming up as he ducked his face away, blinded. Naruto planted a foot against the man's shoulder and shoved him away, while back flipping.

Landing in a crouch, Naruto grinned viciously at the now blinded enemy. "I told you I was a ninja."

By the time Itachi recovered, Naruto had formed the hand seal to create four Kage Bunshin who surrounded his target and charged, one punching Itachi as Naruto jumped. The three others slid under the man, kicking up, lifting Itachi into the air, allowing Naruto to come spinning down and kick his opponent in the back of the head.

"Uzumaki Naruto Rendan!" A chorus of voices shouted as Itachi grunted and ricocheted back to the ground sharply.

Itachi somehow managed to get a hand under him to break his fall and flip upright. Turning, the man began forming a seal sightlessly, exhaling a ball of fire that only the real Naruto managed to avoid. Rebounding, Naruto landed and began forming his own hand seals, a moment before the wind rippled before him for a Fūton: Kazeryudan.

The wind exploded with a roar, twisting into a dragon of wind as it hurtled toward his target. Itachi dodged, though the left side of his cloak shredded, not that it mattered. The dragon curved back, spiraling as it gave chase to his temporarily blinded opponent, but even without his sight Itachi was more than up to the task of surviving.

Growing in frustration, Naruto began formulating another plan to end the fight while he could, which seemed to be when Itachi decided to unleash his own jutsu, forcing Naruto to abandon the Kazeryudan. He didn't know what the hell Itachi had just used, but it was an enormous blast of intense heat that spread rapidly. Trees exploded into crackling torches, the grass became a sea of flame.

A hasty counter, 'Fūton: Boufuu no Jutsu', saved Naruto, though he had just unleashed one of his few S-rank techniques. A destructive storm of wind exploded into being and assimilated the flames of Itachi's attack, throwing them back at the man. By the end of the jutsu, the clearing looked like something out of the apocalypse, and Naruto stood panting, while Itachi waited relatively untouched on the edge of the blast radius.

"That good enough for you bastard?" Naruto sneered, though mentally beginning to panic. How fucking strong could Itachi be? Kami, killing the man would be like trying to drink the ocean.

"Impressive," Itachi returned emotionlessly, "but I am disappointed that you needed to resort to such an underhanded tactic as throwing dirt in my eyes."

"I'm a ninja," Naruto returned, forming a new series hand seals for another attack. "Ninja fight to win!"

"It is still-"

"Ibuki no Kazeryu!" Naruto shouted, creating a massive hurricane of slicing wind blades around Itachi. However, when the massively deadly jutsu came to an end, the only thing present was a piece of shredded cloak and a butchered log. Kawiamri. Damn. Now where the hell was Itachi?

Sensing a sudden spike in chakra, Naruto found several intensely yellow strands of flames in the shape of serpents racing toward him. Closing his eyes he concentrated and flared the wind chakra, unleashing his Kaze Toku, causing a spiral of wind to explode into existence around him. The flame serpents crashed into his shield with a bright flare and then slowly began twisting upward with the rotation.

Naruto swore and unleashed a Kamikaze no Yaiba scattering both the wind and flames, while slicing up the countryside in every direction. Free, he spotted his target. Sweeping his arm back, Naruto focused the chakra in the palm of his hand, creating a Rasengan while charging. As he came within reach he thrust it forward, only to have it countered by a serrated scorpions tail appearing before Itachi.

The impact resulted in Naruto being thrown back and the tail shattering.

Landing in a crouch, he skidded back, before coming to a stop near a huge rent in the earth. Vision clearing of the dots from the flare of chakra, Naruto found a hunched over figure, cloaked the same as Itachi, standing between them.

Great, things were just getting better and better. Naruto growled unconsciously as he tapped into the Kyūbi's chakra ever so slightly.

"No offense, Itachi, but I think I should handle this one," the hunched figure said, his tail coiling around him.

"I would suggest, Sasori, you rethink this decision," Itachi offered blandly, keeping his eyes closed.

Naruto charged with a small army of Kage Bunshin, to which the hunched figure countered by using the remaining parts of his scorpion-like tail. Damaged though it was, that thing deflected all the shuriken and even the giant shuriken easily, before beginning to take out the Kage Bunshin. Naruto wasn't out of tricks, however, having his clones unleash a series of Kaze no Yaiba which tore into the hunched figure, only to reveal an even more oddly shape body as the cloak tore away.

"I think," Sasori said, reaching up to lower the cloth around his mouth, "that I'll add your body to my collection after we extract your demon."

"Extract-" Naruto started, before dodging and weaving to avoid the darts that began to rapid fire from the man's mouth. He winced as some tore through his jacket, even felt a burning sensation before the pain faded as the Kyūbi kicked in. _Fucker has poisoned weapons_, Naruto thought darkly as he landed from a leap, then twisted to avoid a massive and oddly shaped hand that sailed by him.

Even as his remaining Kage Bunshin shielded him from the hand when it exploded, Naruto began forming the Rasengan and charged forward once more. The remaining Kage Bunshin created their own clones, running interference even as one joined Naruto's side and began manipulating the Rasengan. Naruto jumped, holding a Rasen Shuriken as the Kage Bunshin began exploding to create a smoke screen, before he realized that Itachi remained in the exact same position as when the man arrived.

No point in wondering about that, Naruto decided, a burst of wind under his feet granting him even more momentum. Sasori registered the attack at the last moment, made as if to move, when the ground seemed to wrap around him to hold him in place. A second later, the Rasen Shuriken connected, followed by a flash of blinding light as enumerable miniscule wide blades obliterated the Akatsuki agent and created a crater several feet wide and five feet deep.

The explosive backlash hurled Naruto away to crash heavily on the charred earth of the battle field. Coughing, the boy sat up a moment later, trying to blink away the dots in his eyes. Finding the area empty, he flopped back to stare up at the night sky, the heat from the charred earth feeling rather comforting.

"Okay," Naruto wheezed a moment later, arm burning intensely as it healed, "what the hell happened to Itachi?"

* * *

Dodging forward as the massive sword descended in a downward arc, Ino managed to reach the inside of his guard and pivoted. The cloaked man turned nimbly for one so large, the head-cleaving sword coming up and over for another slash. Ino beat him to the punch, bringing her sword around with the full power of her turn, only to have it deflected somehow by the wrapped weapon.

Leaping back, Ino skid to a halt, eying her opponent warily as she settled into a new stance. There was a moment of consideration and then the man reached up, unfastening his cloak. Tossing it aside, he revealed his broad and heavily muscled frame, along with sharp teeth that gleamed in the moonlight as he rested his massive sword on his shoulder casually. "You're still green. If I were you, I'd abandon that Jinchūriki and save my own skin."

Panting, Ino tightened her grip on the kodachi but remained silent, despite the anger now burning inside her at the taunt. She had yet to use her Tsukiha to counter that massive sword. If there was one thing Ino knew about fighting with swords, it was that a bigger sword might cause more damage, but generally it moved far too slow.

Her opponent, unfortunately, could use that head-cleaving sword as quickly as she could her Tsukiha. Plus, he could use ninjutsu in combination with his weapon, though he seemed to be refraining at the moment. The enemy had both power and speed, a deadly combination.

Ino had not earned her name as the Hitokiri by accident, and no matter how skilled or fast, the enemy could only move the blade in a limited number of directions. Her tactical abilities should, by all rights, ensure her victory. Except, even with her improved stamina from years of practice and the fact that she could predict the path of his weapon, he had more experience and seemed inexhaustible, almost like Naruto.

Shifting her stance, Ino brought her kodachi diagonally across her body, eyeing the sword in the dim moonlight. This fight required that she not make a single mistake. Worse, Ino had a sneaking suspicion that he was only toying with her, which would work to her advantage, but only once. As soon as she pressed him, he would drop the façade. Ino doubted she could take an S-rank criminal in such a situation.

Still, no point in hesitating. She would risk her life; stake it on her home and her friends. Channeling chakra into her kodachi, she dropped to the ground, striking it. The Odori no Tsuiraku Tsuki caused the ground to explode upward in a spray of earth, obscuring her from sight. Kisame deflected it with a disdainful sneer, even as she moved into her next attack, Odori no Shoushi Guffu, slashing her blade through the air to create a whirlwind that tore along the ground leaving a rooster trial of earth in its wake.

Kisame countered by flicking his wrist to spin the sword in the air, which slashed the whirlwind in half. Ino had followed in its wake and jumped, sword quickly rising overhead. As the debris and wind cleared, she descended, blade slashing down with unbelievable force for her size in an attempt to slice the man in half.

Instead, she connected with the massive blade, which pushed her back effortlessly. Landing, she immediately hurtled into her next attack with a Shunshin. He seemed unworried, at least until Ino applied the principal of the Shunshin to her sword arm, striking with blinding speed.

She called it Senkouken, and it was her own.

The man's eyes widened as he moved back at the last second, only to fall right into Ino's final attack. Crouching down with her left leg bent inward and her right leg outward, like a panther, Ino began to spin while holding her sword diagonally behind her. A moment later, Ino darted forward, slashing upward, scoring a blow across his exposed chest and stomach.

Coming out of her Kurohyou Kizu, her only other personal attack, Ino grinned. Despite that success, however, Ino knew that she had failed. That hadnt been a killing hit, and he would not take her so lightly again. The man proved her right, exploding toward her with an impossible speed. His massive hand palmed her face and shoved her back roughly, even as his sword came down in a sharp chop.

Ino reacted on instinct alone, channeling chakra through the blade of her kodachi, while it arched up and over to catch the crushing blow. Her muscles went taut, pulling on the limited enhanced strength training she had received from her aunt, and still she went to a knee. The impact of the blow filled the air with a series of cracking, telling Ino that Tsukiha would snap at any moment.

Screaming wordlessly, Ino surged upward, shoving the man's weapon away. Pivoting, she funneled every last ounce of chakra she dared and preformed another Senkouken. The sword arched out biting deep into the man's shoulder, before Ino leaped back, sword shattering in her wake. Landing, Ino collapsed to a knee once more, panting and holding barely half a blade.

"That hurt, you bitch!" the shark-like man shouted, twirling his massive blade around as he glared at her.

"What's wrong?" Ino taunted, knowing that had been the last trick she had left. "Too much for ya?"

"I'm going to chop off-"

Whatever he was going to chop off, Ino never found out, as there was a sudden overwhelming flare of chakra from the direction Naruto had retreated. Eyes wide, Ino gapped at the sheer amount of it, then realized belatedly that she was the only one left in the clearing. Standing as best she could, Ino sheathed her now ruined weapon and took off in the direction from which it had originated.

Kami, please let Naruto be alive...please...

* * *

The forest was silent, save for the occasional sound of distant explosions. For Hanabi, it only served to further unnerve her as she moved quickly through the trees, careful to moderate her pace. Admittedly, after Naruto had sent her away, Hanabi had run as fast she could, but it hadn't taken long to realize just how bad an idea that would be.

A moment later, Hanabi came to a stop as a low rumbling filled the air from ahead of her. Listening, she wondered what was going on as the sound seemed to grow louder before there was a slightly pulse of force as if from a powerful explosion. Glancing back in the direction she had left Naruto and Ino, Hanabi bit her lip then started forward once more.

After all, Naruto had ordered her to help the Suna ninja and he knew best what needed to be done. Picking up speed, Hanabi formed the needed hand seal and increased the amount of chakra flowing through her Hakken no Jutsu. The details suddenly came into sharp focus, making it almost painful to see them, but Hanabi didn't hesitate.

Admittedly the technique was no Byuakugan, but it seemed to work very well for her. With her chakra at such a high level, the light from the stars and moon were bright enough that the world almost appeared bathed in morning light. If she concentrated extremely hard, she could even see up to twenty feet ahead, though it did not allow for her to see through objects.

Clearing the forest, Hanabi didn't hesitate as she shot across the rapidly flowing Isen River and entered the side nominally belonging to Suna. A moment later, she entered the forest, heart thundering in her ears at another explosion. Soon, she'd be in the thick of battle, though she had been forbidden to actually combat the enemies she would find.

That thought weighed less heavily on her mind than a desire to know more about these S-rank criminals from Akatsuki. How did Naruto know about them? Why had he been so odd when talking about them? There had been no trace of his typical insanity; he had almost seemed unnerved and maybe even afraid of them.

It seemed impossible, but Hanabi had a feeling that it might partially be true. Shaking her head, Hanabi settled for asking Naruto about them later, then noticed a strange branch covered with grasshoppers. Dropping from her current branch out of instinct, she grasped a lower one on the tree ahead of her to swinging around and up. That was when Hanabi realized that both branches were covered with the clay ants, which exploded just as she reached the other side of them. The blast forced Hanabi's body to jackknife and slam into another branch face first. The pain was blinding, blood flowed into her mouth, and her back felt as if an ox had kicked her.

Hanabi recovered out of reflex, thanks to her training with her evil sensei. Clutching at a new branch, she swung her legs forward into a flip and landed shakily on a lower branch. Hacking and then spitting blood from her mouth, Hanabi glowered and then realized the sound of the explosions were louder than ever.

Taking a shaky breath, the Genin took off at a run and then jumped, plunging five feet to the forest floor while focusing through the pain. Naruto and Anko had caused her unbelievable amounts of pain, which proved very useful at the moment. A second later, Hanabi exited the forest and entered a clearing, abruptly realizing that it was actually the ruins of the camp that belonged to the Suna nin.

To the left of a gutted tent, the smoke from the sputtering watch fire was barely visible; more interesting was the unusual scent that filled the area, Hanabi had never smelt it before. Shoving the smell to the back of her mind, she scanned the area, looking for some sign of the Suna ninja. She found none. Frowning she moved cautiously through the ruined camp, but lost her footing at the sound of a nearby explosion and fell sideways.

Recovering, the Genin placed her hand on the ground to stand back up, but froze as a liquid came into contact with her hand. Blinking, Hanabi frowned and sat up, bringing her hand up for inspection. The entirety of her palm was coated with a black liquid. Rubbing it between her fingers, she mused that it felt thick, reminding her vaguely of oil.

Studying it more intently, she looked to where she had placed her hand and found a wide puddle of the liquid coating the ground. Looking briefly at the arm that she had fallen on, Hanabi found it too coated with the dark liquid. Following the puddle of liquid back to the source with her eyes, a headless body was sprawled no more than two feet away.

It was...Hanabi looked back at her hand, her stomach churning.

Scrambling to her feet, Hanabi fought her instincts to throw up, even as she backed away, eyes widening in horror. What could have, who could have, _what_ could have caused this? Hanabi tired to master her urges, tried to keep from panicking as the reality of the situation set in and she realized the danger of her situation.

S-rank ninja, if they could take apart and decimate a group of Suna Jōnin level ninja as Naruto-sensei told her, then a Genin would be nothing. Whoever had done this could kill her without breaking a sweat, and leave nothing behind if they were so inclined. Heart racing, she gulped and closed her eyes, trying to slow her breathing and think rationally.

Her thoughts were disrupted at the sound of an explosion to the left. Whipping her head around, Hanabi focused on that. Naruto-sensei had told her to help the Suna ninja however she could, but not to engage the enemy. Obviously, those explosions meant someone needed her help, so Hanabi quickly set out, focusing on helping while forcing herself to forget about the horror of that camp.

Racing through the forest toward the fight, to the ninja that had caused such damage, proved more horrifying than expected. It was one thing to actively pursue a confrontation with a weaker opponent, but to seek out such an insanely powerful enemy, even if she wouldn't be fighting them, made her stomach tighten in fear.

Hanabi forced herself to keep going. This was what Naruto wanted of her and she would not disappoint him. She used her fear to focus, too channel her average sized chakra through her unnaturally precise control, and performed Shunshins that would leave more than a few people lost if they were watching. Hanabi narrowed her eyes and concentrated just a tad more, blurring past a grouping of clay grasshoppers that exploded as they jumped after her, only to hit the trees.

The cold air bit deep into her cheeks as her Shunshins rocketed her forward toward ever greater speeds, but Hanabi did not slacken her pace, would not slacken it until she had no other choice.

Darting into another clearing Hanabi came to an abrupt halt, a massive killer intent washing over her. It was nothing like Naruto's; it was deep and hate-filled, causing Hanabi to involuntarily take a step back. Mastering herself, the girl wisely applied her Meisai Gakure to avoid detection and entered the clearing cautiously.

The first thing she discovered was the Suna Kunoichi leaning against a tree for support; one arm hanging loosely at her side and clutching a tattered tessen, hair disheveled, black kimono ripped. That same black liquid grotesquely covered part of her face. The fallen combatants gaze was focused past the trees, and the Genin followed her line of sight to discover two figures circling overhead, one on a bird and one on a solid mass of sand.

Watching the two, a moment of renewed fear flooded Hanabi, but she stopped it quickly and forced it into a convenient mental compartment. Fear of death, of being killed, it was both pointless and not helping her. Frowning in disgust at her own stupidity and weakness, she turned back to help the wounded ninja in the clearing, but then she spotted a large clay creature moving in from behind the girl.

Hanabi was on the move in a heartbeat, but the girl had turned as well as, sensing it. The Suna ninja tried to move, but her legs gave out, Hanabi dove forward to tackle her aside. Eyes clenched shut, the Genin felt her impact with the older girl, expecting to be blown apart by the blast, but instead they hit the ground and rolled.

When they came to a stop, a rock dug painfully into her back and the older Kunoichi on top. Looking left, panting heavily, Hanabi found a crumbling shell of sand and it did not take a genius to realize it had absorbed the explosion to save the girl.

"Y-you're..." the girl said, moving to get up but only managing to collapse to her knees and cough up blood.

"Please don't move," Hanabi said urgently, sitting up, fumbling through her pouch for medical supplies. Grasping a healing cream, which was the only thing she could find, she turned back to apply it only to have the girl shrug her hands off.

"I-I'm fine," the girl said, arms trembling as she used them to stay in an upright kneeling position.

"You are coughing up blood and you have a head wound," Hanabi said sourly. "If that is fine, I shiver to think what 'hurt' would be."

"Pft, y-you talk a lot like that baka Naruto," the girl said with a rather bloody smile. "You his student?"

"Yes," Hanai said, eyes narrowing dangerously, "and never insult Naruto-sensei in my presence."

"Whatever," the girl hissed before struggling upright, aided by Hanabi, who rose with her. Panting heavily, she looked up at the two over head, frowning as she began talking. "Where is he? This fight, if it keeps going like this...Gaara-kun is going to loose control...h-he's only staying like that cause I'm here...but he'll start soon..."

Hanabi had no clue what the older kunoichi was rambling about, other than she wanted to know where Naruto was. "Naruto-sensei is currently engaged with two other S-rank criminals, who I believe are this man's partners."

"Shit," Temari said, wincing, hand going instinctively to her ribs. "C-can you do anything?"

"No," Hanabi said with a shake of her head. "I have medical cream that could possibly help ease the-"

"Not help me, help him!" the girl almost shouted, glaring at Hanabi, while nodding at the two overhead. "Gaara-kun will win...eventually...but if he starts transforming, you're sensei won't get here in time to save either of us."

"What do you mean transform?"

"Gaara-kun, he has...a demon inside him," the girl explained, her voice wavering. "I-it takes control when he starts transforming...and he won't care about who he kills...so pl-please, if you can help at all, help Gaara-kun."

"I-I am only a Genin and I have no method of fighting an opponent of such strength," Hanabi said, a hint of fear creeping into her voice.

The girl shoved her way, muttering 'useless', took two steps forward and promptly collapsed.

Hanabi hurried forward and knelt, but found the girl unconscious, her breathing shallow and dangerous.

If this fight went too far, if Gaara transformed as the girl had explained, then there was no hope. Naruto-sensei had told her not to fight the enemy, but if she didn't then she and this girl would be killed. If she understood Naruto, despite his insanity, he would accept she had no choice but to help in the fight. Yes, she could help, but she could not actively participate. Lifting her fingers into a basic chakra molding hand seal, Hanabi molded as much chakra as she dared and then activated the Hakken no Jutus.

Her vision telescoped upward as she focused on the man upon the bird. She could make out a frightening amount of details as her pupils dilated to untold size to make the moon and stars turn the world into daylight for her. The cloaked figure didn't move, nor did his attention waver from the person he was fighting. That was perfect for Hanabi, who molded more of her chakra, concentrating on the man, knowing that what she was about to do would have no lasting effect other than to create a half-second window.

"Kanashibari no Jutsu!" Hanabi shouted, aiding her concentration on the technique. The figure half-turned at the noise, but before he realized what happened the jutsu had connected. Hanabi felt fatigue wash over her, a sharp pain etching itself into her mind, as she pitched forward, feeling oddly weak but managed to catch herself with her hands.

Looking up, eyes watering and burning, Hanabi saw with great satisfaction that the figure and his bird were encased entirely in sand. There was a moment of silence and then the sand imploded, blood splattering out, a high pitch wail of death echoing through the air. Watching it in silence, she blinked as the liquid splattered her face.

It was raining blood.

* * *

Moving swiftly, Hoshigaki Kisame felt the dryness and the tingle of high amounts of chakra lingering in the nighttime air. A lot of chakra had just been thrown around, unsurprising, as he had felt the blast even from a mile away. Landing adroitly on the branch, the shark-like man muttered about that stupid blond girl. Turning, he addressed a man, wearing an Akatsuki cloak, standing beside him.

"I was just starting to have fun with that little bitch."

"We need to leave now," the dark haired man said flatly, eyes closed and head tucked slightly behind the high collar of his cloak. An obvious sign that he was shifting through information gained through a Kage Bunshin, which in Itachi's case would be something called a Joukyuu Kage Bunshin.

"Okay," Kisame said dubiously, "but what the hell happened? I don't see that Jinchūriki's body lying around. He run away?"

"No."

"Well?" Kisame asked, slightly frustrated. "What happened to the little bastard?"

"He killed Sasori-san and my Joukyuu Kage Bunshin," Itachi said blandly. "He has a very potent ninjutsu."

"He did...what?" Kisame said, momentarily stunned. Sasori, well okay, that wasn't such a hard feat, but to kill one of Itachi's Kage Bunshin? Those damn things could take large amounts of damage before disappearing, more than most Jōnin-class ninja.

"Zetsu-san will be here soon to dispose of the bodies, accompanied by Tobi," Itachi said, opening his eyes before pushing off the branch to disappear into the forest.

Kisame followed, mulling over what he had just heard, then turned to say something to Itachi and noticed for the first time a dark liquid oozing down the man's chin. "You're bleeding!"

"As I said," Itachi intoned, not looking away from the path they were on, "Naruto-kun has a very potent ninjutsu."

"But, you...it was that Kage Bunshin he hit!"

"Joukyuu Kage Bunshin," Itachi corrected blandly, "can pass along not only knowledge gained, but also damage received from a jutsu of S-rank or higher."

Kisame blinked at the silence, the meaning echoing in his mind, before he whistled, impressed. For someone in their mid-teens to have such a strong ninjutsu, it would be foolhardy to not be impressed. Then he blinked, a question forming in his mind. "So, why did Sasori get killed? I mean you obviously used Kage Bunshin to escape the blow..."

"I used 'Kage Bunshin' from the moment he shrugged off two of my A-rank genjutsu without effort," Itachi admitted tiredly. "Sasori died because his puppet form could not sense the dangerous nature of the chakra in the last attack."

"So making himself a puppet finally came back to bite him on the ass." Kisame said, barking with laughter, his sharpened teeth gleaming in the moonlight.

* * *

The wind bit deep into Naruto's face as he hurtled through the trees, heading roughly in the last direction he had heard an explosion come from. Beside him, looking equally grave, was Yamanaka Ino. Both ninja were traveling at their best speed, but wisely avoiding using Shunshin since that increased the chance that they would miss what they were looking for.

"Naruto-kun, maybe you should create Kage Bunshin," Ino said finally. "I don't like this. Too quiet."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, creating several copies that went shooting off in different directions. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and then looked at Ino. "Did anything seem off in that fight you were in?"

"At first, not really," Ino admitted. "He underestimated me, but most guys do at first. After a few minutes, it got pretty obvious he was just toying around with me."

"Same here," Naruto admitted. "Itachi's supposed to be as strong as a Kage, but when we fought we were even. Now, I know I'm great, cause hey I'm me, but I'm not quite Kage level yet."

"Iunno, that 'Rasen Shuriken', seems Kage Level to me," Ino said, glancing at him. "I was a mile away and felt the chakra pulse from the impact. That's a lot of power, Naruto-kun."

"Its only S-rank though, and its not even full power." Naruto grumbled, shaking his head. "Only half complete."

"Half...if that's _only_ half power I don't want to know what full would look like," Ino muttered darkly. "What makes it only half complete?"

"Eh, well, Rasen Shuriken is only step two. If you count the Rasengan, it's step three," Naruto explained, shaking his head. "Its **supposed** to be the ultimate attack. For a while, before I figured out how to do elemental manipulation, I couldn't even work on it, so I made up this 'Oodama Rasengan', which is S-rank too."

"Naruto-kun," Ino sighed wearily, shaking her head. "I get the Rasengan and the Oodama Rasengan, well, as best I can. I want you to explain the Rasen Shuriken and how its only half complete."

"Fine, fine, I was just giving you background info," Naruto said, sounding slightly amused. "Okay, so, basically step one, after the Rasengan, is to work on elemental manipulation. Since I specialize in wind that was what I worked on. Anyway, the result is called Fūton: Rasengan. Thats basically just manipulating wind into a ball roughly the same size as the Rasengan. It can be used as an attack, but its better suited toward defense cause it blows an attack or opponent away."

"Okay and this relates to the Rasen Shuriken how?" Ino asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I'm suppose to take the Rasengan and the Fūton: Rasengan and combine them into one attack, sorta like I'm putting the Chidori and the Rasengan into a single attack, which was what my dad wanted to do in the first place. The result is the Rasen Shuriken, which is formed by a ton of tiny blades that slice into everything. Once it connects, the attack will swallow the target in a massive sphere of destruction."

"Which is impressive, but what makes it half-complete?"

"Well, besides the fact that using it damages my own arm, the thing is freakin huge and obvious," Naruto said with a snort. "Second off, I have to keep total concentration on it and the only way to hit a target is to use Kage Bunshin to provide distraction. Third, I need at least one Kage Bunshin to help me create it and then keep it formed."

"Ah, so basically you have weaknesses you need to work on," Ino said in understanding.

"That and the fact that the Rasen Shuriken isn't complete. I think the final step is to make it compact, maybe the size of a baseball, while adding a hundred percent power. I'll probably blow an arm off if I ever do manage to get to that point, but on the upside the final stage won't be S-rank."

"Huh? What else would it be?"

"U-rank," Naruto said, chuckling. "Ultimate Rank."

"Cute," Ino said. "Have you thought about using Kanashibri no jutsu to hold the target still?"

"Yeah, but I can't focus on it and the clones don't last long since the freakin thing takes about ten minutes before I can use it," Naruto groused, before blinking and tilting his head slightly to the left. "They found them. Come on."

A moment later, the two ninja dropped from the trees into a clearing to discover an impassive looking Gaara, who was bearing an unconscious Teamri in a cradle of sand and an equally unconscious Hanabi in a cocoon of sand. Naruto danger sense flared and his eyes narrowed, glowering at the emotionless boy who stood across from them with his arm crossed.

"Temari is hurt," Gaara said after a moment, his tone flat. "Heal her."

"I'll take a look," Ino said, glancing at Naruto as the sand lowered the older kunoichi to the ground.

Naruto's eyes darted between Ino with glowing green hands, to Gaara blank stare and then back. If anything happened to either Hanabi or Ino, Gaara was dead, it was Naruto's silent promise and he always kept his promises.

"What exactly happened to her?" Ino asked, not looking away from her task, though the strain was obvious in her tone.

"We were ambushed. She attempted to help me in the battle. The man is dead," Gaara answered, his gaze not wavering from Temari's face. "I protected her as best I could while fighting."

"You...protected her?" Naruto asked slightly, startled, eyeing the red head oddly.

"Yes."

"Well, I think I fixed everything...or at least the serious stuff. She'll have some aches and pains, but she'll live," Ino said, sitting back and breathing heavily. "I'm not exactly a trained medic, after all. We can help you car-"

"I will care for her now," Gaara said abruptly, the cocoon around Hanabi dissolving to allow the girl to fall listlessly to the ground. Then he turned his full attention on Naruto, those eyes boring into him even as the sun began to rise in the east. "This changes nothing. I will still kill you and continue my existence."

"Right," Naruto said, his tone growing icy. "You're welcome to try anytime you feel froggy."

Further conversation was cut short by the arrival of five ninja dressed in hooded brown cloaks and oddly painted faces. Naruto felt the hostility from Gaara increase, even as Ino quickly retrieved Hanabi to check her over. Naruto turned slightly, keeping track of the silent ninja that had just entered the clearing. "Ino-chan?"

"Chakra exhaustion," Ino answered, hand turning a greenish-blue for a moment before breathing easier "That's better. I gave her chakra a small boost, so she'll recover in a few hours or so."

"You're amazing, you know that?" Naruto said with a grin, and then turned back to the new ninja to find them keeping a wary eye on the red head. "So what you bastards want?"

"The Kazekage sent us," the shortest one said before pausing. "What exactly happened here?"

"A bunch of fighting," Naruto answered, wondering if it was just him that could hear sand shifting. "Four S-rank ninja attacked us. After that, well, you'll just have to ask Gaara there."

"Gaara-sama?" the short one said, attention shifting to the boy who glowered at them. "Where is Baki-san and Kankurou-san?"

"Baki got his head blown off and Kankurou bleed to death after losing an arm and hand," Gaara responded with dark amusement. "Father should be pleased to hear his brother and favorite son died so...heroically."

"Is, uh, Temari-san...okay?"

"Temari is fine," Gaara answered curtly, a dangerous tone entering his voice. "I will care for her."

"Well, uh, maybe if you let us...we have a medi-"

"She has already seen a medic. She is fine," Gaara said, sand beginning to swirl up around the group. Leave Temari-chan to me."

"O-okay, we just wanted to help," the short one said. As the sand receded, the man turned to Naruto. "We have a scroll from the Kazekage for the Hokage. He wanted it delivered through the nearest Konoha team."

"Coo'," Naruto said, gesturing for the man to toss him the scroll, which he did, before it was promptly intercepted by a Sand Bunshin of Gaara.

"What are you-" the short one said, before he was silenced with a look from the psychopath.

"He is mine to kill." Gaara answered, before accepting the scroll from the clone that quickly dissolved.

Naruto blinked, then glanced at Ino, utterly bewildered at the situation.

"Gaara-sama, that's a private dispatch. I assure you that if we wanted to kill him or any of them-"

"You will not try," Gaara said curtly, tossing the scroll to Naruto without looking.

Catching it, Naruto grinned darkly, handing it off to Ino while letting his killing intent flood the air. "No, come on, I wanna see 'em try."

"W-we're just messengers..." the man said nervously, before glancing at Gaara. "Uh, a-also you're being recalled to Suna. Kusa has finally conquered Kuma no Kuni, prompting Kiba no Kuni and Tsume no Kuni to surrender. Iwa is expected to launch a full scale assault any time now."

"Very well," Gaara conceded, his sand swirling around Temari, lifting her into the air carefully before leaving in the company of five uneasy Suna ninja.

"Well, that was interesting," Ino said after a moment, handing a limp Hanabi to a Naruto clone that had just turned up. "So, Iwa and Suna are finally going to war."

"Yeah," Naruto said, eying the scroll he was holding before pocketing it. "We better get back to Konoha. Gotta report a lot of shit..."

"I know," Ino agreed, frowning before glancing at him. "Naruto-kun, is it me, or does it feel like something bad is about to happen to us all? Not just the war?"

"Just your imagination." Naruto said with a reassuring smile, but inside he knew better.

Where Ino felt it, some part of Naruto knew it for a fact. Words he hadn't thought of in three years echoed thorough his mind.

__

It is coming: I see death, destruction, and despair.

"Don't worry Ino-chan. Its just your imagination.

__

A great calamity, anarchy. A blood tide.

Everything's going to be fine."

* * *

AN: A quick note, first sorry about not updating sooner, but issues. Second and more importantly, my beta is currently occupied with other things so the next update will probably be unbeta'd. I'll do my best to clean it up, but it won't be as nice as this one.


	15. Chapter 13: Preparations

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 13:  
-_Preparations_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

"I can't wait till we're back in Konoha." Naruto said, glancing at the overcast late afternoon sky, before he turned to regard Ino, who grinned at him while zipping up her - formerly his - jacket. Due to an obscure form of female logic, she had decided the weather was cold enough to warrant the theft of his jacket, leaving him to suffer the ravages of fall weather.

Not that it felt very chilly to him.

"There, there, Naruto-kun," Ino said, patting his shoulder. "It won't be long now. Besides, you can deal for a little while longer."

"I'd like to see you carrying about a hundred pounds on your back," Naruto countered, shifting his grip on the sleeping Genin he was currently carrying piggy back style. Despite Ino stabilizing the girls chakra levels, Hanabi was sleeping a lot to recover from her chakra exhaustion, something he'd never experienced but which Ino had imparted to be a painful experience.

"Well, I'm a girl," Ino countered with a smirk. "You know, weak and helpless."

"Right," Naruto said dryly. "I keep forgetting that."

"That's cause youre blonde and a guy," Ino said, starting to chuckle, "whereas I am blond and female. Everyone knows we're one percent smarter."

"Who was it that thought I was dead after my fight with Itachi?" Naruto countered. At Ino's disgruntled look, he smirked. "Hah! Now who's smarter, Ino-chan?"

"Just be quiet," Ino huffed, looking away with a fain't blush on her cheeks.

"You are okay, right?"

"For the hundredth time, I'm fine," Ino said in exasperation, looking at him fiercely. "Except for Tsukiha, I came out unscathed."

"Sorry, just, well, I worry about you," Naruto said, feeling his cheeks heat up at the admission. Seeing the way Ino's gaze softened slightly, he considered bringing up the subject of the various near kisses between them, when a group of ANBU surrounded them.

"Yamanaka-san, Uzumaki-san," the tallest one wearing a Dog mask said, "the Hokage asked us to escort you back."

"Er, why?" Naruto asked, eying the group of ninja warily.

"Is something wrong?" Ino asked, moving toward the man slightly.

"A messenger bird arrived from a Suna ANBU team, mentioning that you had fought a group of S-rank criminals," the man wearing a Goat Mask explained. "After the Hokage talked with Jiraiya-sama, he immediately ordered us here to make sure you returned safely."

Naruto lost track of the conversation, and the fact that they were walking once more. The only reason Kakashi would do something like this would be if he knew about Akatsuki, and if he spoke with Jiraiya then he most likely did. A forboding clutched at his heart. Did Kakashi know why Akatsuki were after him? Did he know about the Kyūbi? Would he toss him in an ANBU cell or that Haiotoshi place he'd heard about?

"Excuse me, Uzumaki-san," one of the men asked.

Naruto looked at him, but hardly registered his surroundings, so lost in thought.

"The report didn't mention any names, so we've been wondering if you knew them."

"Well, Ino-chan faced...er...spiky black hair..." Naruto glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, "carried a big sword called Samedah or something, right?"

"Samehada?" Dog Mask asked, looking at Ino. "You fought Hoshigaki Kisame?"

"Kisame? Of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?" Naruto asked, eyes widening in surprise.

"One in the same," Dog Mask said with a nod. "It's very impressive that Yamanaka-san managed to hold out against him."

"You think that's impressive?" Ino said, sounding proud. "Naruto-kun faced Uchiha Itachi solo and made him run away."

Naruto blinked at the sudden silence that engulfed the area. The ANBU were staring at him. He could sense it even behind their masks. He shifted uncomfortably. It wasn't because of the attention itself, but that sense of awe, the uncomfortably worshipful way they were regarding him, the way people had after he fought Garaa. He would never feel entirely comfortable with such attention.

"U-Uzumaki-sama, is that true?"

"Uhh...yeah, sort of." Naruto said shrugging, wishing Ino would have kept quiet about it. "I was fighting him. It was about even, I guess, and then this Sasori guy got in the way,"

"Sasori?"

"Yeah, hunched back scorpion tail..." Naruto said, casually. "Anyway, he got in the way, so I had to try and kill them both. Itachi managed to escape, but I got that Sasori guy."

"...Sasori...of the Red Sands?"

"Uh...guys, maybe we should get back to Konoha now?" Ino offered, clearly unnerved by their sudden shift in attitude. The ANBU nodded in agreement and the group set out once more, thankfully reaching the west gate of Konoha half an hour later without further conversation.

"If you would like to-" Dog Mask started to say, before discovering Naruto already handing a still sleeping Hanabi to a Kage Bunshin.

That done, Naruto focused on the ANBU, his tone firm. "I think we can find the way from here."

"Of course," he said, inclining his head before the group disappeared.

Breathing easier he had a healthy distrust of ANBU, save for Ino and Anko - Naruto gestured at the road leading deeper into the village. With a slight nod, Ino set off at a brisk pace. Neither spoke, but for Naruto each step made his stomach tighten. Looming before him stood a specter he didn't particularly want to share with Ino.

In moments, she would learn about the demon inside him. Chewing his bottom lip, thinking long and hard, he turned toward Ino, deciding that it would be best if he told her. His plan derailed when he saw her nervously biting her thumb. He gratefully shoved the decision to tell her about the demon to the back of his mind. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm, oh, nothing really." Ino said, rubbing at her elbow absently. "Just, there's so much going on. I'm not sure what I can do exactly, especially without Tsukiha."

"You'll do what you can," Naruto said, his mind flashing to the birthday present he had been carrying around for the last half year. Well, it was close to her birthday, or at least he thought it was, so he could give it to her early. "Anyway, how about later tonight I come by and we can hang out?"

"Sure," Ino said, flashing him a smile. "You know, even though youre a dunce, I'm glad I have you."

"Hehehe," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head while blushing. She was happy to have him, not _have him around_, but to _have_ him. Period. Did she honestly mean it like that, or was he just reading too much into it? Entering the Hokage Tower, Naruto put thoughts of hidden meaning aside, ascending the stairs alongside Ino.

He paused at the entryway, finding an unusual sight greeting him. There was Anko, munching on her dango, with the Chūnin in front of the door crumpled against the wall and the one behind the desk slumped forward. Looking up from the two ninja, she smirked at them, which prompted Ino to speak up first. "What's going on?"

"The _Hokage_ wanted some extra privacy, so I used the Nehan Shouja no Jutsu," Anko explained with a shrug. "They should be out for a while. Now, come on, there's a lot to talk about."

"Right," Naruto agreed, though as he followed the older woman into the office he - like Ino - made sure to check on the two Chūnin to ensure that they were actually sleeping. Entering the office, Naruto blinked, discovering not only the Hokage and Anko, seated on the windowsill, but Jiraiya and Tsunade as well.

"Ah, Naruto, Ino," Kakashi said, eye curved up happily for a moment before falling into his default half-lidded position. "First, is everyone okay?"

"Well, my sword broke," Ino said, sighing, "but, yeah, we all came through in one peace. Except Hanabi, chakra exhaustion, but-"

"You let her fight?" Kakashi asked sharply, fixing a hard gaze on Naruto.

"Fuck no," Naruto shot back. "I had her help the wounded out, but you know how it is when youre a Genin in the middle of a high level fight, sometimes youre forced to defend yourself."

"Good point," Kakashi said, still scowling.

"Anyway," Ino said impatiently, this time addressing her aunt, "it wasn't too serious and from what we gather she tipped the scale in favor of Gaara. I evened out her chakra levels, so she came through fine. She's been asleep for most of the trip back. Naruto sent her back to her place with a Kage Bunshin."

"Good," Tsunade said. "Still, Naruto, get her to visit the hospital when she wakes up just to make sure," she amended, a slight frown on her face. "Ino did well, but she's only qualified as a field medic."

"Ahah, but she did great! Ino-chan even healed up Temari, and she was hurt a lot worse than Hanabi," Naruto said, grinning but silently agreeing. Still, Ino deserved a lot of credit. "Plus, before that she fought off an S-rank criminal alone, Hoshigaki Kisame."

"It was luck," Ino said, shaking her head. "Naruto-kun here unleashed a heavy duty jutsu and disrupted our fight. If he hadn't, Kisame probably would have killed me."

"Be that as it may," Kakashi said seriously, sitting forward, "you held up against a ninja that Kirigakure has been after for years. He was an elite Jōnin in Kiri until he began to assassinate the local Mist feudal lords. Its no small feat to come out unhurt if you were fighting him."

"Still," Ino muttered, shaking her head before sighing.

"Naruto, who exactly did you face?" Jiraiya asked, sitting forward with a tiny frown on his face.

"Uchiha Itachi," he admitted. At the various surprised looks, he sighed, expanding the story. When he finally finished, Anko wore a smug grin, Jiraiya rubbed his face, Tsunade stared at him shrewdly and Kakashi had stood up. "Anyway, I think they were just scouting me out more than anything..."

"That's a safe bet," Kakashi said after a moment before resuming his seat. "We'll contact Suna to alert them that you killed Sasori. They'll be happy about that."

"Well, before that, I do have one question..." Naruto said, mind snapping to an earlier observation. Seeing Kakashi's expectant look, he continued. "When I hit that Sasori freak with my jutsu, I mean, it killed him, but, well...there wasn't any blood."

"Sasori looked like a scorpion, correct?" Jiriaya asked, and when Naruto nodded he shook his head. "Rumor has it, he was a genius in the study of war and weapon puppets. He went further in their study than anyone else would ever imagine going, too far. From what I've heard, I wouldn't be surprised if he had ended up making himself a puppet within a puppet."

"Oh," Naruto managed, frowning slightly.

"Now, I believe you have a message for me?" Kakashi asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Huh, oh yeah," Naruto said, glancing at Ino, who tossed it to Kakashi.

The masked man caught it and then, with a glance at the seal, set it aside before focusing on them once more. "Now, I believe we have the matter of Unity to talk about..."

Twenty minutes later, Ino left along with Tsunade, leaving the Hokage, Jiraiya and Anko alone with Naruto in the office. There was a moment of awkward silence in the air, and Naruto shifted his weight silently, wondering what they were waiting for.

Finally, Kakashi spoke, his tone mild but holding an undercurrent of chiding in it. "Naruto, what were you thinking keeping something like this a secret?"

"Like what?"

"That you're a Jinchūriki," Kakashi said, almost spat really. "Do you realize the danger you put, not only yourself, but both Ino and Hanabi in?"

"Of course I do!" Naruto countered, glaring at the man. Didn't he know that Naruto had already had this argument with himself, that he knew exactly how stupid and selfish he had been? He could have gotten them both killed!

"I want to know why you didn't bother to tell me about this."

"Why do you think?" Naruto snapped, glaring at him. "I've been to other countries; I've seen how they react to people like me. 'Jinchūriki', 'Eta', hate, ostricaztion. Hell, the tone you just used was no different."

"That isn't an excuse. Nobody in Konoha likes that word, nor do we endorse the creation of such people. Humans are not meant to host demons," Kakashi said sourly, before sitting down heavily. "However, you are right. If you were just to walk up to someone and blurt out 'Hi, I'm the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi!' you'd receive a lot of anger and hate."

"See!"

"Naruto," Jiraiya said, sounding tired. "We've been discussing this. I think we've figured out a way to reveal what you are-"

"I'm a ninja and a human being," Naruto countered, glaring at the man, "who _happens_ to have a demon imprisoned inside him. That does not make me a Jinchūriki, a weapon, or anything else."

"Idiots," Anko muttered, before shaking her head and addressing Naruto. "Look, runt, what they came up with ain't bad and theyre trying to help."

"What is it?" Naruto asked, focusing on Anko, feeling that out of them all she understood how he felt.

"Simple," Kakashi said, sounding slightly relieved. "It counts on two things; one, your status as a hero. Your record leaves no doubt about your loyalty and you are known for saving the village, plus word will get around soon about making Itachi run away. Two, you're already considered an Advanced Bloodline Bearer, so you've got more respectability."

"So, we gather the ninja together and explain the details," Jiraiya said, taking over the explanation. "With those two facts, we can spin it so that even those that might hate the Kyūbi or Jinchūriki will accept things. I'll be the one handling that, because as you know, I have a way with words. After that, the Hokage passes a law saying that the information is kept on a strict need to know basis."

"Exactly, besides we're going to make sure that its clear to everyone that this is the ultimate punishment for the Kyūbi, because the thing that once tried to destroy us is now forced to help protect us," Kakashi added, lacing his fingers together. "I will say that since none of us are naive, we can expect a few people to be upset, but nobody has ever been universally loved. Not even the Yondaime or the Sandaime, so that's a given."

"It'll also mean that a lot of people, the 'neutral' ones, are going to be watching your actions intently," Jiraiya added.

"Okay," Naruto said slowly, as his mind whirled from all the information. "But the only reason they even consider me an Advanced Bloodline is just an Onijutsu."

"Well, we don't have to tell them that," Jiraiya said slyly.

"Besides," Anko said, smirking, "I'll talk to the heads of the Minor and Major Clans, get them to endorse you."

Naruto stood there a moment, stunned, mind racing. Everything they had said, it could really work, but only within Konoha. He had learned the truth from Jiraiya - only within Konoha were Bloodlines accepted and revered. With that, Naruto stood a slim chance of continuing to be accepted.

"Well?" Kakashi asked, sounding slightly bemused.

"Can I...think this over?" Naruto asked cautiously, knowing better than to agree immediately. This was a big decision, a big gamble really, and he needed to tell Ino and Hanabi before they heard it through the announcement, if and when there was one.

"That's fine," Jiraiya agreed. "I told them you'd probably have to think about it. Just don't take too long. We have some time before Akatsuki comes after you again, from what my spies tell me, but try not to cut it too close."

"Right," Naruto said, glancing at Anko, who shot him a reassuring look. He turned and left the office. If it weren't for Anko and her backing of this plan, he probably wouldn't seriously consider it. She seemed to think it would work, so he would give it a chance. After all, Anko had yet to steer him wrong.

* * *

__

Location Akatsuki Headquarters, former capital of Ame no Kuni...

"Sasori is dead. Deidra is dead as well. We've offered the ring like you asked," Zetsu softly intoned, voice echoing through the empty worship hall of the white-walled building that had been a temple to a now outlawed deity. **_"FOolS...ThEy gOt thEmSeLves kiLleD,"_** the second, disjointed voice of Zetsu added.

"I see," Pain said, closing his eyes while forming a hand seal. "Assemble."

A moment later, with a barely noticeable ripple and soft hiss, three distorted images appeared in the hall. Lowering his hands, Pain paused, staring at the missing fourth he had expected. Konan, of course, had orders and had left with Tobi, and Zetsu was in the shadows of the worship hall. "Where is Hidan?"

__

"I don't know," the man's partner said, voice distorted through the astral jutsu. _"He mentioned something about the 'call of Jashin being too strong to ignore' and took off."_

"Zetsu, find him," Pain said without looking, knowing the man was already gone by the time he finished his sentence. "Do you think you can handle the Nibi Jinchūriki alone?"

__

"I'm not so weak that I actually need a partner," Kakuzu said sourly._ "I am hardly Sasori or Deidra, after all."_

"Yet even partnered they did not succeed against the Ichibi," Pain said dryly. "Leave the Nibi to be safe. The Sanbi's Jinchūriki has died and the Bijuu is free, capture it."

__

"I'm here. I can take the Nibi-"

"The Bijuu is free," Pain said sharply. "It will be weaker and Kiri will be after it. I want it captured to avoid the creation of a new Jinchūriki."

__

"Fine," Kakuzu said, before fizzling out, leaving only Itachi and Kisame.

"What of you two?"

__

"Heh, I'll have the Yonbi Jinchūriki soon enough," Kisame said. _"He thought hiding out in the Yasei no Kuniguni would keep me away."_

"After you capture him, I wish for you to claim the Ichibi Jinchūriki as well," Pain said and then glanced at Itachi, wondering as always what was really going through the man's mind. "Itachi, what happened to Sasori?"

__

"He misjudged his opponent," Itachi answered blandly.

"Obviously," Pain responded, tone tepid. "Zetsu said there was no body. What happened?"

__

"An attack I don't understand."

There was a protracted silence at that. The enormity of what Itachi had just admitted unsettled him. An attack like that would not be something they should be engaging lightly, at least not yet. When Konan returned, or Zetsu, he would have to send one of them to study the boy and figure out the attack.

"I see," Pain finally said, closing his eyes as the final two shimmered from view.

Alone once more, Pain thought long and hard about allowing Itachi to continue pursuing the Kyūbi Jinchūriki. But if he did not send Itachi after the Kyūbi, he would have to deal with it personally, and the Orochimaru matter remained unresolved.

No, in the end it would need to be Itachi against the Kyūbi, leaving Tobi or Pain to deal with Orochimaru and the Hachibi Jinchūriki.

* * *

__

Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's office....

The Yondaime Tsuchikage had a reputation within Iwa that demanded fear, respect and devotion.

He, and he alone, had faced the Yondaime Hokage in the last war and with great personal risk drove the Scourge into retreat. This had allowed him to achieve enough recognition to claim the title of Tsuchikage years later, for only the strongest could gain the title. Indeed he looked the part for such a fearsome and great warrior; with a solid build and broad shoulders, a severe face and cold green eyes.

Unfortunately, this reputation had been built on a very large, very fragile_ lie_.

He had indeed been present in the fight against the Scourge of Iwa, one of ten other powerful ninja that had done so. Their combined efforts, however, merely slowed the monster down and at a very high price, as only he had survived that fight. The lie, that he had driven the Yondaime Hokage away, was the basis for the rest of his reputation. Without that deceit, he had nothing.

His goal, the true goal, was to create a pure society, one in which there existed nothing but a single entity of great power. It would stretch its hand out across the land, expanding until the whole of the world joined this society. As Tsuchikage, living and functioning with such a fanatical and brainwashed country as Tsuchi no Kuni, he had the perfect power base to implement his idealism.

However, his plans were in jeopardy, because one of the few survivors of the Yondaime Hokage's path of destruction - a hero among his generation - had just reported something. Something that had a lot of troubling implications, something that could ruin his plans just as they were beginning to take shape.

Sekibutsu Jimen had told him all about a young man who greatly resembled the Yondaime Hokage and could use the Rasengan, a solider of outstanding repute who proudly served within the ranks of Konoha. Why now, why would such a man appear now, on the eve of the Great Revolutions dawning?

He could not discount Jimen's report. The man had good judgment and his warning warranted attention. Jimen also held a connection to an important ninja family within Iwa, and to doubt his word would be to anger them. Still, the report of this new menace was inconveniently timed for the Yondaime Tsuchikage.

Leaning back in his chair, the man closed his eyes, sighing softly.

Opening them, he made his decision. He would contact the ANBU and the Ni Naiya, and together they would be assigned the task of gathering as much information as they could on this young man. They would develop contingencies for how to deal with him, and only then would he directly address this situation. Until that time, he would ignore the issue. He was still too ill informed to adequately address this snag head-on.

He would, however, convince the Daimyo to initiate the full scale assault against Kaze no Kuni. There would be a day of reckoning, the Tsuchikage knew, when the son would come to finish the job his father had begun. On that day, he would stand against this upstart and he would crush him. The Great Revolution would not be stopped by anyone.

He would not allow such impudence in the face of his well-deserved glory.

* * *

Mitarashi Anko had never been a pleasant person to deal with. She had mental problems that even the interrogation squads had failed to uncover. She'd been socially rejected for a large portion of her life, ever since Orochimaru had cast her aside. No family, no friends, until three years ago when the Sandaime tricked her into being sensei to Uzumaki Naruto, the village pariah at the time.

Then an amazing thing happened, Naruto became the village hero for stopping a whack job, and people started treating her differently. Suddenly, people were happy to say 'hi' and notice her. Guys she had known for years, who had never shown the slightest romantic interest despite her killer body, had asked her out. Complete strangers would talk to her for no apparent reason.

At first, she had been suspicious.

How could she not be considering the attitude of the village inhabitants for the last dozen years? Eventually, her sharp mind figured out the cause she was being given credit for training the village hero. Because of Naruto's decision -a one that any ninja would have made given the right factors - to stop the psychopath Gaara, she enjoyed reflected glory and respect.

Anko didn't like it, and went to great lengths to avoid such people. Naruto's respect was not her respect, and she wanted nothing to do with it. This explained why she was currently sitting in a low-class dango restaurant, eating dinner, in the worst neighborhood that she could find. After dinner, Anko figured that she could approach the Aburame first, since they had been the only Kekkei Genkai Clan that tolerated her.

The Hyūga, Anko feared, would not be happy to see her. After all, Orochimaru had killed several of their brightest to develop the Hebi style and Anko had helped. Gleefully, actually, and just remembering that Anko took an extra vicious bite of her dango. Still, for Naruto, she'd do her damndest to convince them to endorse him.

Honestly, it was his only chance of keeping a fraction of the respect he had earned, despite what Kakashi and Jiraiya thought. Their plan was both logical and sound, but they were overlooking the nature of simple-minded villagers and the fact that it was the Kyūbi inside Naruto. With any other demon, it might conceivably work, but this demon had not only decimated the village, but killed their greatest Hokage.

__

Well, Anko mused with a smirk, _at least he's the greatest until Naruto takes office._

Chuckling, she sighed. If nothing else, when this all blew up, which Anko admitted it most likely would, then Naruto was of age now and would be available once more. Lecherous thoughts quickly flashed through Anko's mind, absently running the finished stick of dango against her lips for a moment. If it wasn't for the fact that Naruto wanted it to work, she had seen it clear as day on his face, Anko would intentionally fail.

Naruto was the most important thing to her and still her only family . For him, she'd do anything. Including, if this worked, putting him out of her reach forever. With such depressing thoughts, Anko gulped down her sake and selected a new dango stick.

"Anko."

Looking up, the Jōnin blinked, dango stick dangling from her mouth. There stood Ino, dressed in casual clothes for once, but looking far too serious for casual conversation. Finishing her dango, the Jōnin raised an eyebrow at the younger kunoichi, wondering what the girl wanted.

"Can I sit down?"

"Sure..." Anko said, blinking, and when the girl slid into the booth across from her, started on her new stick of dango. "So, what you need?"

"I want to talk to you," Ino explained, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, "about the fight."

"Ah, what about it?"

"Look, I know I'm good, really good," Ino said, meeting Anko's gaze before glancing away, "but using only Kenjutsu isn't going to cut it against S-rank criminals."

"Gee, you just now figured that out?" Anko drawled dryly. "What do you want from me?"

"Teach me Ninjutsu," Ino said, focusing on her once more. "When I hit Chūnin, I started focusing entirely on Kenjutsu, alienating people that tried to help me. It got me to Jōnin, but I'm not where I need to be. I have to be stronger. If I don't get stronger, I can't do my job."

"Well, better late than never," Anko said, rolling her eyes and picking up the final stick of dango. "Let me finish dinner and I'll see what I can teach you."

Seeing the girl nod, Anko took her sweet time with her last stick. Once again, Naruto was providing motivation where others had been unable to. Ino hadn't been lying earlier. She had alienated a lot of people with her single-minded pursuit of Kenjutsu. Even among the ANBU Trainees her friends were limited and always spoke behind her back.

Admittedly, Anko had a few problems with the girl, one being her insistence on using a basic genjutsu to disguise the few scars she had received over the years; but there were enough similarities for Anko to agree to train the girl. Her determination to get better, not caring what anyone thought, and the fact that she knew her faults and accepted them would ultimately make a good Jōnin, or Tokubetsu Jōnin, out of Ino.

There was also the added bonus that Anko would get a more in-depth look at how well Ino matched up with Naruto. Personality-wise, they fit pretty well together, but there were other things she needed to see, such as just how determined Ino was to get better. ANBU Training hadn't been about self-actualization; it had been about survival and learning to thrive.

This would be about proving her ability to grow, adapt and, ultimately, her willingness to keep trying when she failed.

"A'right," Anko said, dropping the finished stick onto the tray and gulping down the last of her sake. "Lets get to work."

"Right!" Ino said eagerly and hopped up, then followed Anko's languid pace out into the street.

A few minutes later, Anko took the Chūnin down a path to a secluded wooded area. It was vacant, save for the three odd stumps in the center. Turning, the Jōnin crossed her arms and eyed the girl intently. "We'll be using this area. Its a new training ground, so nobodys gonna show up to bug us."

"Okay," Ino said dubiously, her eyes uncertain.

Anko knew exactly how to begin. With Ino's focus on kenjutsu, the basics from the academy would have been forgotten. "First things first, there are five main elements. Can you guess 'em?"

"Wind, fire, water, earth and...uh...lightning?"

"Oooh, glad to see you haven't forgotten everything they taught in the Academy," Anko said, smirking at the slightly disgruntled glare. "Okay, to keep it simple for you, each ninja has the potential to better utilize one of these elements. So, first things first, we're going to find out what sort of chakra type you got."

"We are?" Ino asked, eyes widening slightly. "How?"

"With these," Anko chirped, whipping two small blank cards into view. "These are special element detecting paper used to determine ones 'type', though there are other uses. Anyway, the paper comes from trees specially grown with chakra. When you mold your chakra into the paper, it will alter to reveal your type."

"Alter how?"

"Its different for everyone," Anko said, tossing her one of the cards. "Naruto, for example, his chakra type is wind, so the card split in half. Kakashi is lightning, so his crumpled, and mine..." holding her card up, Anko grinned maniacally as it burst into flames, "burns."

"Ah," Ino affirmed, eyes widening as she scrutinized the card she was holding. Closing her eyes, the girl concentrated, obviously attempting to mold chakra into the card. After several minutes, she huffed and looked at Anko in frustration. "Why isn't it working?"

"Hmmm," the kunoichi said, before shaking her head. "Apparently, you don't have a chakra type. I was sorta expecting water or earth, because youre related to Tsunade-sama and the Shodai."

"So I can't learn any Ninjutsu?"

"Never said that," Anko said, rolling her eyes. "And they used to say Naruto was the dumb blond around here."

"Hey!"

"Oh, just listen up, I'm being nice here ya know," Anko snapped, glowering at the unintimidated girl. "Just because you don't have a chakra type, doesn't mean you can't learn elemental Ninjutsu. This only means youre not going to have a type that'll work better for you, like Naruto and his wind. I doubt anyone living could actually keep up with him using wind Jutsu anyway."

"Yeah, but why do we need to know chakra type anyway?" Ino asked, much like Naruto had three years ago.

"If you were earth type, then you'd learn earth-based Jutsu quickly and they'd be twice as powerful than any other element-based Jutsu you could perform," Anko explained, shaking her head. "Because you don't have a type, or I guess we can call you a 'void' type, you'll have just as much luck learning any of the elemental Ninjutsu and they'll all be equal, but average, in strength."

"I see," Ino muttered, crossing her arms now. "Earlier you said five main types, are there others?"

"Well, sorta. They're subtypes of the main five, except for lightning and wind. Water has the subtype of snow, earth has metal and fire has smoke. There are also combinations you can perform to create new elements if you have two chakra types, but we won't be getting into that."

"Two chakra types?"

"Most Jōnin have and control at least two types, but there are some like, well, Naruto or you, who only have one or none," Anko explained, keeping her annoyance in check. "Having two elements also allows for certain types of bloodlines, like Hyouton or Mokuton, but you'd have to use the two types simultaneously without thinking about it."

"So, the Sharingan, Byakugan and Naruto's Tenkeichiyu rely on using two elements at once?"

"Nope, entirely different ways of working," Anko said, which was honest enough, but she felt her nerves starting to fray. "I'm sure that after three years with Jiraiya-sama; Naruto could explain how those bloodlines work better than I could. Besides, were off topic. This is supposed to be about teaching you Ninjutsu."

"Right, sorry," Ino apologized, looking just slightly guilty. "So, what are you going to teach me?"

"For the moment, five basic jutsu for each element. They'll allow you to prepare for the more advanced Ninjutsu. After that, you'll just have to figure out how to integrate them with your Kenjutsu," Anko said, an unpleasant smile sliding across her face as she formed a hand seal and then exhaled sharply, a massive ball of flames forcing Ino to throw herself to the ground and roll aside.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu," Anko said, stopping the jutsu. "It won't be very big, but a fireball to the face will ruin anyones day."

Forming another hand seal, Anko targeted Ino once more before unleashing a bolt of lightning from under Ino's feet, forcing the girl to dodge.

"Shuurai no Jutsu, a nice shock," Anko said, smirking before forming another hand seal and exhaling a blast of wind.

"Fūton: Daitoppa," Anko said, blowing Ino off balance, before adding sweetly as the girl regained her feet. "Strange weather, don't you agree?"

A moment later, Anko had launched another attack aimed at Ino, this time turning the ground into mud. The blond sank up to her shin's, before focusing the chakra to her feet and rising back up with a look of annoyance on her face. "Ishi Nanka no Jutsu. That one's a bit messy..."

"What are you trying to do?!" Ino shouted, glaring at the woman angrily even as Anko formed one last series of hand seals and enveloped the area surrounding her in a thick fog. A second later, Ino found her head tilted back by a hand on her chin and a kunai against her throat.

"Kirigakure no jutsu," Anko whispered in Ino's ear. "This is a favorite technique of Kiri ninja. Perfect for assassination, or escape if youre getting your ass kicked."

"O-okay," Ino stuttered, muscles taut as Anko pressed the kunai tighter against her throat. "Which one do I learn first?"

"None," Anko said, before nipping her earlobe playfully, smirking at Ino's 'eep' noise. "First, you learn how to manipulate the chakra into creating the elements. Then you learn them. Lets get to learning, blondie, cause I got things to teach that you'll never forget."

* * *

Miyako, the former capital of Kuma no Kuni and now the capital of the expanded empire of Kusa no Kuni, was an extremely beautiful place. There existed a grandeur and majesty in the vast city that no other capital could hope to match. The pride of the people, the fantastic architecture, and the exquisite museums and entertaining halls made it the crown jewel in Kusa's conquest.

Standing on the balcony of Kirin Castle located on a hill high over the city, Daimyo Hittori, ruler of the Kusa Empire, smiled in silent satisfaction.

The fall of Kuma no Kuni, which had gone exactly as planned, resulted in Kiba and Tsume instantly capitulating. This made Kusa no Kuni the largest, most powerful, non-Kage country in the world. With the Kusa desire for justice sated, as well as those conquered adjusting to the new rule, peace seemed to be settling over the land.

For the common people, the adjustment proved easy. Changes in government, barring radical upheaval, had little impact upon their lives. What did it matter which Daimyo ruled their land, provided they didn't suffer major upsets in their every day way of life? The Shinobi and the samurai were trickier, but with the judicious use of the 'Okugi Fuin: Kyou Chuugi Oyobi Juujun' that was not a real problem.

For the moment, he would allow this peace to ferment. It would help him to tighten his hold. It would also help him destroy the few pockets of resistance, which always existed no matter how generous a new ruler was. Then, after enough time, he would start the process over once more, until ultimately he could discard the title of Daimyo for that of Tennō.

His empire would stretch across the continent. The Kusa Empire would be vast and powerful. There would be no more wars, no more pointless suffering, unity, harmony. Peace.

"Hittori-sama," someone said politely. Turning, the Daimyo found one of his many samurai standing behind him. Seeing his attention, the man bowed, before continuing with what he had to say. "You requested to be alerted at the last possible moment when the Daimyo Rittai and the Tsuchikage were expected to arrive. They'll be here at any moment."

"Ah, I see," Hittori said, musing softly over the coming meeting. By delaying his notice, the Daimyo could give just the bare minimum of proper greeting and thus seem to greet the two 'important' people with great honor. "Arrange the dais in the courtyard, but there should be no curtains. We'll need three cushions, the best we have, and the second best tea set we have. Send for Sazuko-chan. She can serve us."

"Yes Hittori-sama," the samurai said, before turning to do as ordered.

The Kusa Daimyo stood quietly, staring out over his country, thinking of what he had accomplished and what was still left undone. He returned to his room within the castle quietly. Maid's soon arrived to help him dress and make him look the part of Daimyo. Properly attired, he regally swept out of the room and past the stationed samurai, heading down to the courtyard.

He reached the courtyard just as the iron plated gates began to open, and the iron portcullis ratcheted upward. Beyond that was a wooden bridge, twenty paces wide and two hundred long, which spanned the moat. Hittori focused on those travelling across the bridge the cortege of samurai and Iwa ninja.

Heralds carrying banners travelled beside a rich palanquin, which was proceeded by a man dressed in the formal robes of a Kage. The officer at the gate moved forward to check the papers that a samurai, dressed in the brown and black uniform of Tsuchi, offered.

After many bows, they stood aside along the palanquin and the Kage continued forward, escorted by both Kusa and Tsuchi Samurai.

The samurai peeled away twenty feet from the ten-mat dais, which had been erected in the center of the courtyard, allowing the Daimyo to climb down and move to stand beside the Kage. Akechi Rittai, Daimyo of Tsuchi no Kuni, was taller than Hittori and in his late forties. The Tsuchikage appeared to be roughly the same age, with broad shoulders, a black beard and narrow eyes that seemed suspicious of treachery from every corner.

"Welcome Daimyo-dono, Tsuchikage-dono." Moving forward swiftly, Hittori bowed formally to the other daimyo then half-bowed politely at the Kage. "I am sorry for receiving you so poorly, but I only recently received notice of your arrival."

"Please excuse us for disturbing you," Ratti said, his voice rough but kind. "We can understand the difficulties you must have faced. The war has only recently settled. It is to be expected there would be hiccups."

"Thank you for your understanding," Hittori said, glancing briefly at the Tsuchikage and then back to the Daimyo. "Please, have a seat so we can discuss what brings two such important people to this humble country."

"Please excuse me, I would be honored if you would be seated first, Hittori-dono."

"You're too kind. Please, honor me by sitting first," Hittori countered, both hating and enjoying the game of power that they were playing. He had no skill in combat, or at least none that counted, but at this, he was unbeatable. Finally, after what felt like several hours, they were seated on the dais, the Tsuchikage just slightly behind and to the left of Daimyo Rattai.

There was a moment of polite conversation as Sazuko, dressed in a peach-colored kimono with an obi of gold, served them tea with perfect decorum. Finished, she bowed formally to the two guests then to him, revealing the beginnings of a scarlet under-kimono. "Please excuse me, Hittori-sama. Everything is prepared. There is food and sake when you wish it."

"Thank you," Hittori said with a slight nod, deciding to send for her that night and postpone his night with the former Kuma leaders eldest daughter. It would be a good celebration, just him and Sazuko to consecrate this as truly his land. Putting her to the back of his mind, he turned his attention to the two men and spoke politely. "So, what is it you wish to discuss?"

"The term you asked for in your offer," Rattai said curtly. "It seemed unusual."

"Ah," Hittori said, nodding. "Yes, I can understand how that would appear unusual. As I am sure you are aware, Kusa no Kuni now stretches a vast distance, much of it between you and Kaze no Kuni. We have, of course, Numa no Kuni as our satellite country."

"Yes."

"However, as you and Kaze no Kuni are engaging in minor skirmishes, I know you have slipped groups across our borders to arrange a beachhead in Kaze no Kuni," Hittori continued, taking a sip of his tea before sighing. "For our continued neutrality and turning a blind eye to this, it is not unusual that I would request control over Mori no Kuni."

"No, but it is a bit presumptuous," the Tsuchi Daimyo said. "No matter your forces, you cannot seriously threaten ours."

"Maybe not," Hittori allowed, "but combined with Kaze no Kuni, we could tip the scale."

"You're not just after Mori no Kuni," the Tsuchikage said sourly. "You wish to become a Kage power."

"A formally recognized one," Hittori confirmed, meeting the man's gaze unwaveringly. "With Mori no Kuni we would effectively have the land size needed and the talent pool required."

"As we thought, in exchange for aiding you in becoming a Kage power, you'll allow us to cross your land unmolested," Daimyo Rattai summarized. Taking a sip of his tea, he smiled thinly. "Agreed, Hittori-dono. We'll sign over the rights to Mori no Kuni in exchange for the rights to cross your lands and carry our attack against Kaze no Kuni."

"Provided you also agree to give _us_ access to that special seal you have," the Tsuchikage said, "which is allowing you to retain control over your conquered enemies so effectively."

"You're reputation is truly commendable," Hittori admitted emotionlessly, but inside he was seething at such a leak of information.

"So, it is agreed?"

"Yes," Hittori said, bowing slightly. "Thank you."

The two returned it amiable. Mentally, Hittori was grinding his teeth, wondering who had been so foolish as to betray him. Calming slightly, he focused on the matter at hand, knowing that in the end their fanaticism would blind them to their downfall.

By the time they did realize it, it would be too late.

Much too late.

* * *

Groaning softly, Ino fumbled with the key to the house, three solid hours of practicing the same Ninjutsu left her feeling both drained and filthy. Thankfully, she had picked them up rather quickly, though she wouldn't be learning any others until _after_ she had ingrained the ones she now knew into her Kenjutsu style. She would have to start looking for a replacement sword, probably an ANBU ninja-to. Until then, a practice one would have to do the job.

Finally opening the door, Ino rubbed her neck and stepped inside before kicking off her shoes. Closing the door, she took a breath and released it slowly. She would have to save looking up the word 'Jinchūriki' for later. The library had long since closed. Not that she really expected to find it listed there, but it was the only place to look for the moment.

"Oh, Ino-chan, are you back?" her mom asked, coming out of the kitchen.

"No, I'm just a figment of your imagination," Ino said dryly, before pushing off the door to greet her mom.

"Wouldn't surprise me a bit, out all hours of the night doing Kami knows what," her mom scolded mildly, before turning and cupping a hand around her mouth. "Inoichi, our daughters home."

"Are you sure?" her father's voice called back, before he appeared behind her mother and affected an astonished look. "Well, I'll be, she _is_ here! Wow, this is strange, actually here in time to eat dinner."

"Oh joy, my dad the comedian," Ino grumbled, rubbing her shoulder absently. Starting into the dining room, she stopped at a sharp knock at the front door, followed by two more rapid ones. Blinking, Ino turned and moved back to answer it, only to find Naruto standing on the doorstep and holding something behind his back, obviously determined to keep it hidden. "Naruto-kun?"

"Ahah, hiya Ino-chan!" Naruto said, smiling brightly at her.

"Is that Naruto? Why don't you invite him in. He can have dinner with us," her mother said, much to Ino's silent embarrassment.

"That's okay," Naruto called back, making no move to enter. "I just came by to give Ino-chan a birthday present."

At this, Ino raised an eyebrow, wondering what he would have considered buying her. For that matter, why would he buy her anything this year instead of waiting for her twentieth birthday like a normal person? Seeing her attention, his smile widened, though he shifted his feet nervously.

"I got this cause, well, I missed two birthdays and I feel-"

"Hold on," Inoichi said, appearing behind his daughter. "Why don't you come in so we can _all_ see this present."

"Dad!" Ino said, rounding on him, not even wanting to think of why he would say such a thing. Sadly, there was little choice as Inoichi casually grabbed Naruto's shoulder and jerked him into the genkan. Naruto stumbled slightly, then righted himself and shot a glare at the older man.

Ino had noticed the object Naruto was holding nervously. It had the same shape as a sword, but Naruto wouldn't have...would he? Looking up from the item, she found him smiling at her in that odd fox-like manner he had.

"Aah, so, like I said, I got you this cause I missed your last two birthdays and I feel bad about your sword getting broken." That said, he held the item out for her. "Happy Birthday Ino-chan!"

Unable to keep the look of anticipation off her face, Ino quickly slid the silken cloth off, revealing a solid black and oddly straight saya. Even odder, the weapon had no tsuba, just a nearly invisible line where the hilt met saya.

"A sword?" Inoichi asked with a dubious tone.

With trembling hands, Ino grasped the hilt, the dark purple cord and handle feeling natural in her hand. It took no effort to draw the weapon and, amazingly, it came free without a single sound, the blade straight and double edged. The weight and balance felt perfect to her, a quick twirl only confirmed its master craftsmanship.

It was magnificent. No sword ever created, except perhaps Tsukiha, could compare to the sleek and elegantly crafted implement Ino held in her hands.

"The handle's made from Burma Teak," Naruto told her, looking for the first time uncertain about the gift. "I got this Shinto Priest and sword smith Masaki Tenchi to forge it for you out of Zabuza's sword. He said it was made out of something called 'promethium', but, uh, do you like it?"

"It's wonderful," breathed Ino, eyes glistening as she looked from the sword to Naruto. "I've never seen anything more beautiful."

"I have," Naruto said softly before grinning. "Plus, its really special! Nobody else but you can use it and it'll always come back no matter what!"

"I love it," Ino murmured, carefully sheathing the weapon.

"Uh, well, her names Yuzuha," Naruto offered, scratching his head, suddenly sounding and looking awkward.

Ino looked at him for a moment and then deliberately put the sword to one side. She stared into his eyes and suddenly launched herself at him, as if shot from a catapult. She crashed into him and nearly sent them both crashing to the floor.

"Oh, Naruto," she told him, hugging him tightly, head in the crook of his neck, giggling. "I don't know what to say!"

Naruto chuckled nervously, hugging her tight against him. Pulling back, she met his eyes, saw the uncertain'ty in his face, and it was almost like magic as her face moved toward his for a kiss.

"Excuse me," her dad said, jarring the two apart and ruining the moment. Shooting Naruto a rather dark look, he addressed Ino firmly, "Dinner's getting cold."

Ino frowned, even as her mom elbowed him in the ribs and Naruto, chuckling nervously, blushed and made several rapid apologies before hustling out the front door. Ino felt a stab of disappointment at his departure, then another at her father, before she closed the door and shook her head. She picked up Yuzuha, weighing it in her hand and then placing it in a nearby weapons rack, before she grinned devilishly.

Heading for the kitchen, Ino couldn't help but relish how great it had felt to hug him. Damn, if he hadn't filled out nicely in the last few years.

* * *

He was moving slowly and elegantly, art in motion more than actually practicing a kata. His arms swept down meeting in front of him before they flowed over to his right. His shoulder went taut, but his movement was smooth, as he drew his left arm across his stomach while his right drifted over his left.

Like water, his left hand moved out, palm up, while extending his right arm to his side. An unnoticeable breath and he drew his hands in together before crossing his left arm over his right, repeating his last move on the opposite side. In one motion, he brought his hands to his waist, palms facing ahead and then slowly raised his right arm up and swept it in front of him palm down. His other hand swept below his right, palm up.

Watching him, the way his muscles rolled and shifted, Tenten found it hard to breath. He was so graceful, so fluid and precise. Leaning against the tree, she regarded him intently, remembering his breath against her cheek, his arms wrapped around her as they dozed together.

Arms extended, he bent his arm up sharply, right hand clasping the heel of his left. Bringing them around in a broad, sweeping motion, he began to show hints of his old sensei's style. His arms over head, were he went rigid for a moment, before separating them and spread his arms apart, palms facing away from him.

"Tenten."

His voice was intimate, and it affected her like a drug, but she looked away. She felt embarrassed to have him catch her watching him, even if they were meeting in private. Looking at him once more, she offered a grin at the Hyūga she loved, one that he returned ever so faintly.

"It was beautiful," Tenten said after a moment. "Does that style have a name?"

"Neji Ryū Juken," Neji said, fingers brushing hers as he passed by to collect his shirt and forehead protector.

"Ah," Tenten said, snagging his fingers for a moment as he came near her once more. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes," Neji said, the look on his face making her blush. If anyone knew that they were still together, outside of the established Hyūga clan law, the Main Branch could suffer terribly. Worse than Hinata being 'defiled' by an outsider and Hanabi being cast out for following the same path, both a great shame on Hiashi.

"I meant for food," Tenten whispered, before looking away. "Besides, there are some things we need to discuss."

"Which would be?"

"Hinata, for one." the weapons mistress said, frowning as she remembered her friend. "She and Choji broke up, so she won't be in tomorrow."

"I understand," Neji said, sighing as he closed his eyes. "She can, of course, take as many personal days as needed. May I inquire as to the exact details?"

"Short answer," Tenten said sourly. "Choji-san moaned someone elses name during a...bad time."

"Who is the other girl?" Neji asked, a cool tone to his voice, reminding Tenten of just how protective he could be.

"Who said it was a girls name?" Tenten asked archly, then seeing his surprise, nodded, confirming what he thought without a word. Another scandal in the making. Choji and Shikamaru, the heirs of two minor noble clans within Konoha. It wasn't the relationship itself, but the alliance it would make, one that the Konoha Charter strictly controlled.

"Is there another matter?" Neji asked, pushing on, obviously wishing to 'eat', to use an appropriate euphemism.

"Let's eat, I made dinner." Tenten said, stalling the conversation and then, entwining their fingers, led him to a blanket and a large bento. Settling in, Tenten smiled, handing him Jasmine tea and his favorite food, grilled octopus. He gave her a nod, and a small smile in thanks, as they both settled in for their meal.

They ate in silence, like they used to before things had been complicated. Before Neji had been forced into the Main Branch and married a girl just to produce an heir. Before he had offered Tenten the chance to remain with him as a consort, and she had declined with tears in her eyes, along with a great guilt every time they met in secret.

Those things had brought her to this moment, because she couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't be the other woman, even if he loved her and didn't love his wife. It wasn't right. She had to be the _only_ woman in his life. She feared though, that in the darkest of nights to come, she might not be making the best of decisions.

The only thing she took comfort in was that the man she loved had been freed from the mark he had borne for so long.

"Did you make a final decision concerning the offer you were given?"

"Neji I can't-"

"I meant from Unity," Neji said quickly, as if sensing what she was going to say and trying to forestall it.

"Oh. That. Yes," Tenten said after a moment, looking at her food. "I'm going to join them. They make a lot of sense and they are trying to help the village."

"I see."

"What about you?" Tenten asked, glancing at him. They had both been approached one night, as he walked her home, for 'old times sake', and the offers had been made. Very tempting offers.

"I fear they are not what they seem, so I cannot agree to membership," Neji said, not looking at her.

Tenten felt her breathing stop, closing her eyes tightly. That told Tenten the answer to her other concern. She knew now that she and Neji would never be together. Her heart felt like it shattered, right before everything disappeared in warmth, urging her to forget everything. A sort of euphoria washed through her, and she opened her eyes, smiling softly at him.

"Tenten?"

"I forgot. I made you something special," She said sweetly, picking up a desert. "I used a special recipe. Please try one and let me know what you think."

"I am sure they will taste fine," Neji said, setting his dinner aside and selected one with his chopsticks. He chewed silently, then finished selected another and another, before sitting back to smile. Only the smile became a grimace, and he stared at her in horror. "T-Tenten?"

"It was an order," Tenten said almost robotically, watching the poison work. "'If he doesn't join, you must neutralize him.' I can't disobey."

"Ten-" Neji managed before toppling sideways.

After a horrible convulsion, he was still.

It was a terribly silent death.

Sitting there, Tenten continued staring at him, and then began repacking the dinner. A moment later, she looked up as a masked figure landed silently in the clearing.

"I'll take it from here."

"Yes," Tenten said, climbing to her feet. She held the bento at her side while staring straight ahead, the warmth from earlier increasing from its place on the back of her neck.

"You'll go home and forget about what happened. You'll react naturally to his disappearance," the masked figure said, walking over to stand next to her, his hand moved to rest lightly on her rear. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," Tenten agreed, not reacting at the contact or the squeeze he gave it.

"You can go now," the man said, dismissing her.

Tenten calmly walked away in a haze of pleasure.


	16. Chapter 14: The Drum Begins

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 14:  
-_The Drum Begins..._-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

The air was stale and pungent with the taint of metal. Dark pools of liquid splotched the floor of the dingy room where Naruto stood. Here and there, disjointed and dismembered bodies of people he knew, while Anko stood in the center of the room, brave but trembling in terror.

"Naruto," she gasped. "What did you...Why?"

Naruto crouched, a predator preparing to pounce, shaking his head to scatter a hail of blood and sweat from his hair. He surged forward, slamming into Anko and pushing her into a wall. She struggled futilely against him, screaming as he bit deep into her neck, a fountain of ambrosia red spraying.

**_Flesh, power, dominion._**

Primal, undiluted rapture flooded through him. A satisfaction beyond words, that transcended description, surged through him at the feeling of the thick life force sliding hot down his throat. Warm in his belly. Baring his teeth in a mockery of a grin, Naruto whirled, driving out of the window in a spray of glittering glass.

Landing as a fox, he sprang forward into the deserted street, a cold wind howling between the buildings. The moon disappeared behind dark clouds, as Naruto hunched down, hands splayed on the ground before him. A group of humans were coming toward him. He knew them.

Hanabi. Ino. Iruka. Ayame. So many others.

All his precious people were here, blindly trusting and accepting, docile as sheep, oblivious to his true nature.

His lips twitched into a jackal grin.

Hanabi broke away from the group first, trying to attack him, seeing the truth.

Naruto lunged.

It was simple, oh so simple, to duck her punch and grab the back of the girl's head, bring her to him in a loving embrace.

**_We can't be stopped. This is our world now._**

He pulled her head back swiftly, snapping her spine as her head hit the back of her legs. Discarding her body, he turned and stalked toward the startled group, shoulders hunched high and head lowered, lips curling back in a feral snarl. A low growl came up from the depths of his abdomen and he was upon the others in a shower of gore and cascade of screams.

There was a flash of lightning and thunder as Naruto grasped Ino's head, a single moment of hesitation in his reign of death. Tears slid down her cheeks as she stared at him, her mouth working silently in a sob. Then, with a sharp twist, Naruto wrenched her head around.

He turned, letting the corpse drop lifeless to the ground, her body joining the gruesome pile at his feet.

Naruto started laughing, and laughing, echoing into the maleficent night.

................

Naruto bolted upright, screaming his throat raw. Eyes wide, he thrashed about, looking for some unseen enemy before collapsing back onto the bed. His heart was hammering in his ears, his breathing ragged and his skin prickling as his sweat dried, his shirt clinging to him.

Panting, Naruto winced as a sharp headache bloomed between his eyes. He reaching up to massage it. His fingers paused at the sensation of something slick on his fingers. Blinking, he pulled his hand away and felt the last traces of sleep retreat as he saw the blood.

Throwing his blankets aside, he climbed out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom, flipping the light on as he hurried to one of the sinks. Hands on the edge of the sink, he stared at his reflection in mute wonder. There was blood on his forehead, tiny trails oozing in rivulets down toward his eyes; yet he saw no visible cause. Frowning, he turned on the sink. Wetting a rag, he wiped it away and looked up once more.

What the hell was that all about? There was no sign of what could have caused it. After a few more minutes of poking at the suspicious area, he gave up. A quick shower and change of clothes later he was out the door, heading for his morning training with Ino and Hanabi. Well, actually, it was training with Hanabi. Ino just tended to stop by to check up on them.

Leaping from roof to roof, Naruto frowned slightly, wondering where Anko had been lately. Normally, or at least before the Akatsuki encounter, she had started showing up every other morning to help him tort-er-train Hanabi. Coming to a sudden stop, he considered hunting her down, but wasn't sure where to begin outside of the dango shops.

Plus, Kakashi would have told him if something was wrong with Anko. At least, he thought he would, but there was Unity with which to content. With the disappearance of Neji last week, things weren't quite so straight forward anymore. Shaking his head, Naruto created a Kage Bunshin to have it check with the Hokage about Anko.

Setting out once more, Naruto wondered how things could have gotten so damn complicated. When he first became a Genin, he didn't have to worry about anything, just do whatever Anko told him and trust that it was the right thing to do. Now he was doing a Jōnin's job, while trying to fulfill the role as one of the three Niju Shōtai, fight off Akatsuki, protect the village and his important people, and decide about the plan to reveal his status to the village.

It was at times like this that he honestly wished he could be simply be a killing machine like Gaara. Talk about simple, kill whoever you were told and then you can go home and spend the night with a hot girlfriend. Naruto, on the other hand, had dubious loyalty surrounding him, and the closest thing he had to a girlfriend was an unstable woman with a penchant for sadism.

"Gah!" Naruto said, slapping his face in frustration. Maybe he _should_ have stayed in Kumogakure like Yugito had offered. Things were so much simpler there, but then again..."GAH!" Naruto shouted, punching himself this time.

Shoving all of that crap aside, head starting to hurt from all that thinking and brooding, he entered the training area with a flourish, only to find it oddly empty. Blinking, he looked around, then frowned and crossed his arms. This was the right training area, because that post still had an imprint of Hanabi's fist in it.

"Well, where the hell is she?" Naruto muttered. Creating another Kage Bunshin, he sent it out in search of his wayward student. Until she turned up, or got dragged here, he would do something he'd been meaning to do for a while.

Train.

He could try furthering the Rasen Shuriken, but without that lecher around. While he was in Konoha, Naruto wasn't too thrilled with the idea. That meant trying to figure out a way to solve at least one of the problem's with the move. He had cut the number of needed Kage Bunshin down drastically already, though the move still took too long, but he could deal.

What he needed was to work on a way of freezing his target in place. Itachi would not fall for the Kage Bunshin distraction like that idiot Sasori, at least, not after their last tussle. Admittedly, against a normal enemy that trick worked. He had lied to Ino, because against weaker opponents he could use the Kanashibari. However, that was only because his nine Kage Bunshin stuck around long enough to both buy time to form his Jutsu and then to close the distance.

He had yet to manage this against a Jōnin level ninja. Against the likes of Akatsuki, he felt sure it would be suicide. After half an hour of thought, Naruto realized he had no real clue about how to solve the problem. Maybe if he asked Anko or Jiraiya they might have an idea. At least, once he found Anko-

Naruto jerked, eyes widening as he felt a Kage Bunshin disappear. He frowned. That had been the Kage Bunshin sent to talk with the Hokage. Instead of getting his question answered, he'd been ordered by the man to report to the mission hall. What the hell was that about?

Setting out, Naruto had a feeling that he was about to find himself in a bad situation.

* * *

Inuzuka Kiba felt, without a doubt, that he was in a bad situation. Akamaru seemed to feel the same way, though the massive dog kept quiet for the sake of the echo effect the mission hall would have on his bark. It was bad enough to have a mission just as they were changing leadership within the Military Police. Even with Tenten taking smooth control over the department, things remained hectic. He had heard his mission would be with someone that had been teaching and training a lot lately, so he or she had been off the roster for some time.

Kiba knew from dealing with Shikamaru and Choji that once you started teaching you lost your edge.

Why couldn't it have been Hinata? They got along and worked well together. Even if nothing would come of it, he sure as hell enjoyed trying to get in her pants. Grinning, he ducked his head, thinking of the last time they had gone out drinking, even if it was mostly innocent.

He was disturbed from his thoughts by the door to the Mission Hall opening and a loud, boisterous voice filling the room. "Oi, what the hell did you guys want to see me for?"

"Naruto?" Kiba said, startled and turned to find the blond walking toward him. The Inuzuka immediately noted the black and orange outfit. It fit Naruto frighteningly well and his posture shouted confidence and power. The man paused, saw him and then grinned in the familiar way of a kindred prankster.

"Heya Kiba, aren't you suppose to be out hitting on Hinata?" Naruto called, then at Kiba's wide-eyed look, explained as he got closer. "Ino-chan keeps grumbling about it."

"Oh," Kiba said, a flash of distaste on his face. It wasn't any of that bitch's business what he tried with Hinata. The girl was free to choose who to sleep with and who not too. Ino had her cold and superior attitude, which explained why many people in the village weren't too thrilled with her.

"You know," Naruto said, voice friendly though a tad colder, "if I didn't know better, I'd say you didn't like Ino-chan."

"No, no," Kiba said, waving a hand in front of him, aware of how close those two were. "Justshe gets on my nerves sometimes, ya know?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," Naruto admitted, before turning to the desk, where a Chūnin was diligently sorting missions. "Whatcha want?"

"Inuzuka-san, Uzumaki-san," the Chūnin said, without looking up from his paperwork, "you're assigned a B-rank-"

"Wait a minute," Naruto said sharply, disrupting the man's work forcibly. "What about my student? Where's she at?"

"Uzumaki-san, I have no idea where you're student is," the man said, looking up in annoyance "However, this mission was assigned to the two-"

"Hey! You're forgetting Akamaru!" Kiba said, further annoying the man.

"Oi, that's right!" Naruto agreed, glowering at the man.

"I think we should go find your student before we do anything," Kiba said, turning to Naruto, while scratching the massive dog behind the ears.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Plus, we could have some breakfast before we do anything. Can't do a mission on an empty stomach after all."

"True enough," Kiba agreed, a bark from Akamaru making everyone wince. Things continued in this vein for a while, the two of them talking while constantly overriding the person they should be listening too. Kiba almost started laughing as he remembered when they had been younger and would do much the same to the teachers in the academy.

"Excuse me!" the man shouted, exploding from his seat and knocking over a stack of paper work. Both Chūnins and nin-dog turned to face the man with false innocence, which only served to infuriate him further. Wisely, he swallowed his anger and sat back down with a huff before holding up the mission scroll. "The mission is very simple. It's a B-rank diplomacy mission. You're to deliver that scroll to the awaiting Kumo party outside the village of Abareuma, just south of Ishi no Kuni's capital."

"Diplomacy?" Naruto asked, before crossing his arms and sighing. "Maa, I hate those missions!"

"I know! They're so damn boring," Kiba grumbled, as Akamaru nodded in agreement.

"If you're done," the man said sharply, handing the scroll to Kiba. "This is important. Unlike the other non-aggression treaties, we don't exchange 'hostages' to ensure peace. Kaminari no Kuni and Hi no Kuni do not trust each other that much, so we exchange these scrolls. Each scroll contains information that could be used against the country to which they belong."

"Oi, then whats to keep Kaminari from using it against us?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Simply the fact that the information is A) not to be read, B) has seals on it that alert us to if it is read and C) not all that vital to our actual defense," the Chūnin explained. "It's more a 'good faith' type deal than anything. Every five years, we exchange scrolls for new 'weaknesses' and fix the old ones."

"So we're bluffing them?" Kiba asked, blinking. "That's pretty sneaky."

"Well, we are a village full of ninja," the man said dryly. "One last thing before you go: The Kumo team you'll meet up with in Abareuma will be made up of two Jōnin; Tani Tadasumi and Nii Yugito."

"Yugito?" Naruto repeated, eyes widening in surprise for such a fleeting moment that Kiba doubted he'd truly seen it.

Huh? Uzumaki-san, is something wrong? the man asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope!" Naruto said, smiling brightly. "Just thinking, maybe theyll decide to try and kill us! Could be fun."

"Right," the Chūnin drawled, before shaking his head. "Anyway, that's the mission. You're dismissed."

Ten minutes later, the two loud ninja and pony-sized dog exited the mission hall and were standing in the streets. Stretching, Kiba groaned before noticing that Naruto wasn't packed for a long-term mission. This, when combined with his earlier attitude, made it obvious the boy hadn't been planning on any missions today.

"Well shit," Naruto muttered, crossing his arms. "That's what the little bitch was doing."

"Huh?" Kiba asked, startled, and even Akamaru looked at the boy in confusion.

"Hanabi," Naruto explained absently, shaking his head. "She didn't turn up for training this morning, so I sent a Kage Bunshin out to find her. The little brat was on the other side of the village, sparring with Konohamaru."

"Why?"

"Huh? Oh, because of the Chūnin exams. Apparently, he wanted to train but his sensei was being an ass, so he asked her and they lost track of time," Naruto explained, shrugging. "I told her I'm going on a quick mission, so she should keep practicing with him and then later find Anko or Ino-chan to train with."

"I see," Kiba said, shaking his head slightly. Well, even if he and Naruto weren't used to each other at least they got along well enough to keep from killing each other.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "But damn it! I wanna know why that masked perv destroyed my other one and told me to come to the mission hall."

"Masked perv?"

"The Hokage," Naruto said, looking at him oddly. "Are you okay, Kiba? I mean, you're asking some pretty strange questions."

"This coming from the guy that's calling the strongest ninja in the village a 'masked perv'," Kiba countered in disbelief, backed up by a bark from Akamaru.

"Hey, he's the one that reads Icha Icha all the time," Naruto said, shaking his head. "I wrote a couple, and even I didn't find them that interesting."

"Good poi-" Kiba started to say, before freezing in his tracks as the words registered. "WAITAMINUTE! YOU DID WHAT?!"

* * *

__

Private Office of the ANBU Commander...

Tenzo sat quietly at his desk formerly his sempai Kakashi's eying a scroll delivered three days ago from Orochimaru. It contained a mutually beneficial offer from the traitorous snake, one that Danzou would have agreed to in a heartbeat.

Tenzo was not Danzou.

As such he had left the scroll inactive, wondering if perhaps he could use it to help alleviate the Hokage's doubt about his loyalty. Unfortunately, that had been before the disappearance of Hyūga Neji, against orders by an ambitious member of Unity's inner circle. The same ambitious member, one Tou'u formerly of the Shugonin Jūnishi and now a well-respected member of the village, had authorized the use of the unreliable 'Okugi Fuin: Kyou Chuugi oyobi Juujun' on Tenten.

Tenzo could only wonder at her stupidity, the 'Okugi Fuin: Kyou Chuugi oyobi Juujun' had been deemed off-limits since as an early version of the one Kusa now used. It had two major flaws: it could be resisted by a strong enough will and, at any random moment, it could stop working utterly. Then there was how she had handled the Hyūga Neji problem. The boy had been a public figure and an heir to arguably the most politically powerful Clan in the village.

The Hyūga Clan would not be letting up anytime soon and there could be no outright attempt at obstructing the investigation.

Why anyone would go for outright _murder_ to silence his knowledge of Unity instead of a memory seal, Tanzo couldn't fathom. Especially as any idiot could see that such a thing would bring undue scrutiny against the group. He supposed this had to be another sign that Danzou's final order did more harm than good for Unity.

The order, left in case of his assassination, had been to splinter the group into smaller branches. Each member of the inner circle would gain control of a branch, overseeing it as well as occasionally reporting to, and receiving directives from, Tenzo; but they would not interact with each other in any way shape or form. The purpose had been twofold. First, it created the illusion that the group was decaying. Second, even if they did shut down one branch, the others would continue their goals.

Regrettably, this led to each group acting without inhibitions, resulting in rumors. Rumors that grew daily and made others they needed or wanted to recruit extremely distrustful. As any ANBU, any experienced ninja really, knew; one could use rumors to gain an accurate picture of the inner workings of a society, no matter how secretive. Tenzo knew how dangerous rumors could be. He had used rumors to discredit political and religious figures, and to instigate a rebellion and thus topple a government. Stopping a rumor amounted to trying to un-ring a bell; it simply couldn't be done.

What was left was damage control, which in itself would be a tricky process. First, one could never officially deny a rumor, because that only served to give those of a suspicious nature such as ninja reason to believe it. Second, rumors could not be ridiculed or mocked, as they were creditable. Mocking them would amount to mocking the people spreading them. Instead, they must be calm and level-headed, must explain the truth to show that they simply _couldn't_ be involved in any of the activities either officially or unofficially claimed.

That was the path on which he had embarked, taking Unity with him. There would be no more dubious offers to people of questionable temperament. He had ordered every branch to keep off the radar completely and to take any plots they had brewing as far from the village as possible.

This was all well and good, but it still left Tenzou with the problem of the Hyūga Clan and the Hokage's scrutiny. He needed to shunt it away, distract them long enough to disconnect Unity from this stupid mistake. Of course, that would mean betraying the village and the only man that Tenzo had long held in great esteem and honor Hatake Kakashi, former ANBU Commander, his sempai, and the Godaime Hokage.

His stomach roiled at the thought. Tenzo could still remember his first meeting with the legendary ninja.

Tenzo had been born unwanted, his mother a Konoha ninja had been raped by an Iwa ninja, and given to Orochimaru. The Sannin had used him in an experiment with sixty other babies, to see if he could replicate the Shodai's Mokuton jutsu. Shortly after the snake had been forced to flee, while in the process of dissecting the sixteenth failed experiment. Tenzo had ended up in Danzou's care.

Taken into 'Ne', Tenzo had grown up and received training personally from Danzou to become the perfect tool. The War Hawk had been determined to make him the pinnacle of his program, and he succeeded. By age six, Tenzou had outshone everyone in his age range and a few above, and thus his official records proclaimed that he had graduated the Academy and been made Chunin at the same age.

It was with such confidence that five years later, in the early days of the Yondaime's reign, he accepted the assignment to join the regular ANBU. They were short-handed and needed new recruits. That was when he met fifteen-year-old ANBU Captain Kakashi, the infamous student of the Yondaime, who later soundly beat the living crap out of both him and Uzuki Yugao when placed on his team.

Grudging respect followed the encounter. Over the years, his bruised pride morphed into awe and loyalty. Kakashi had done everything in his power not only to make him a better ninja, but something more than a mere tool, make him into a person.

All these years, he had never expected to be placed in this position. Did he dare betray his mentor for the ideal of uniting the country, or did he allow Unity to wither and rot like a fruit left on the vine? The decision should not have been his. It should have been Danzou's or the man's successor, Saito Hikiji, but neither were present at the moment.

So which did he choose?

"Forgive me," Tenzo murmured, reaching out to break the seal and read the scroll. The offer seemed straight forward enough, Orochimaru needed unrestricted access to Hi no Kuni, so he wanted Tenzo to place a seal against a section of the Great Wall so that he could bring it down. In exchange, he offered to make certain select ninja available for Unity to use as they saw fit, no questions asked.

Tenzo mused on the offer carefully, weighing it. Not only would this shift attention away from Unity and give him access to more untraceable ninja, it had the added benefit of taking care of the Hi no Kuni ninja now patrolling the Great Wall.

On the other hand, Orochimaru wanted a war and would wage one, killing who knew how many. If he accepted the offer, then his hands would forever be drenched in the blood of not just samurai and ninja, but innocent people.

He could still back out, still avert this bloody conflict and save those lives. Or he could allow Unity to die, thus killing the dream and hope of millions more.

Reaching out he placed his hands against the summoning seal and applied chakra, accepting the responsibility in the name of uniting the country. A dim flash of chakra followed by a faint pop and hiss of smoke revealed another scroll, no doubt containing the seal Orochimaru wished him to apply. Mouth dry, he reached out and picked it up.

It seemed no different than any other sealing scroll, not that it should have really, but still.

This scroll would change everything.

"I have a mission for you," Tenzo said softly, not looking away from the item he held as the former personal assistant of Danzou seemed to materialize out of inky shadows in one corner of the room. Looking at the androgynous figure who Danzou had codenamed Sai, he handed it over. "Apply the seal inside to the Great Wall in Region Two, and ensure that you are not spotted."

"As you command," Sai said, stepping away before melting back into the blue-black shadows, which dissolved soon after, revealing an ink painting.

Tenzo sighed, closing his eyes, praying that he had made the right decision. He didn't bother with forgiveness. There could be no denying that the responsibility for every death to come would not belong to him. His decision, his responsibility, his ideal, for which others would unwittingly pay the cost.

The road to hell was paved with good intentions.

For better or worse.

* * *

Ino hit the ground awkwardly, but managed a shoulder roll nonetheless. Coming up, she twisted around to discover a barrage of stones from her Kage Bunshin. Instincts brought her bokken up to swiftly deflect the stones. No sooner had Ino stopped the attack, than the Kage Bunshin leapt at her, hands coming down in a double-handed overhead chop.

Ino brought up the bokken just in time to parry the slash, filling the air with the sharp retort of wood against wood. Surging up, Ino forced her Kage Bunshin back and batted away a sudden thrust from her opponent. Moving back, Ino soon found it impossible to do anything else other than defend against the Kage Bunshin's onslaught.

A few minutes later, they separated, each circling. Unconsciously Ino brought her bokken low and to the side, blade curving up across her waist and her free hand raised near her shoulder. The Kage Bunshin adopted a different stance, bringing her bokken up to extend along her left arm while her sword hand rested over her heart.

There was a moment of consideration and then the Kage Bunshin darted forward, bokken arcing out at Ino's neck. Ino countered smoothly by catching the blade of the Kage Bunshin with the tsuba of her wooden sword and slid it upward, throwing her attacker off balance. Retreating, Ino quickly tossed the bokken backward while flashing through the hand seals for the Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu.

Sadly, her Kage Bunshin shot forward, disrupting her attack and forcing Ino to perform a Shunshin backward to catch her sword in time to counter the slash at her head. Ino stopped it half way and counterattacked with a chop at the other's neck. Her Kage Bunshin dropped to one knee, but Ino kept her bokken level with the pale neck, even if it stopped short several inches.

Her speed and recovery had been great, but she couldn't ignore the hard tip of her Kage Bunshin's Bokken pressing firmly against her stomach. The message was clear, as it had been every time she tried to use an element Ninjutsu while using a sword.

There was no way for her to use both at the same time.

"Fuck," Ino spat, then settled into a new opening stance. "Lets try this again."

The Kage Bunshin obliged by retreating to mirror her. The two stared warily, before Ino shot forward with a Shunshin. By limiting herself to just the basics, none of her dances or advanced skills, Ino figured she could more accurately train to fight a more powerful opponent.

The Kage Bunshin deflected her spinning slash and the next two chopping motions of her practice sword.

Pushing away, Ino felt sweat trickling down the back of her neck and the burning sensation of sweat in her eyes. They had been at this for hours and she was no closer to managing a Ninjutsu in the fight.

The Kage Bunshin darted forward, bokken slashing down at an angle. Ino spun left, away from the practice blade, then danced sideways and forward while snapping the tip of her bokken at the Kage Bunshin's chest.

The Kage Bunshin flicked her own blade in response, knocking Ino's away and lunging forward to attempt an upward slash from the side. Ino dropped the blade of the bokken sharply, catching the blade in mid-slash and held it in check. The Kage Bunshin exerted a small amount of strength and forced Ino's blade around in a swirling block. She disengaged and took several quick steps away.

Twirling her practice sword, Ino settled into a balanced attack position, weapon held straight up in a double handed grip.

Her Kage Bunshin darted forward, and Ino met her halfway, practice swords clashing in whirling slashes. The two moved and danced gracefully in their duel, reading the other perfectly as only they could. Suddenly, the Kage Bunshin went for a low slash at Ino's ankles, and she nimbly back flipped away from the attack.

Landing, she started forward in a run, twirling her bokken up and then letting it spin slightly ahead and next to her through the air. The Kage Bunshin had other ideas. This time, before Ino could even start a hand seal, the Kage Bunshin had shot forward with a Senkouken. Ino just barely twisted her body away from the blow, but hit the ground hard and rolled ungainly away. Twisting around and up, Ino found the Kage Bunshin descending from overhead in a classic Odori no Haikei Tsuki pose.

Ino rolled forward just as the Kage Bunshin struck, shattering the earth behind her. Springing to her feet, Ino performed a hurried Shunshin toward her weapon. Coming out of it, the girl snatched her bokken up and spun while dropping to a knee, adding her chakra to both the wood and arm. Her bokken slammed into the Kage Bunshin's like a tsunami, snapping her opponents sword near the tsuba and cracking her own before powering on into the Kage Bunshin's chest.

There was a sharp crack and the fake Ino flew backward several feet before disappearing in a large puff of smoke.

"Shit!" Ino shouted in frustration as she remained kneeling; body aching, sweating, dirty and tired. Letting the ruined bokken fall aside, she shook her hand to regain feeling in it. It never failed. She'd always won using her tried and true methods of combat, but this was _supposed_ to be integrating her newly acquired Ninjutsu into her sword work.

Huffing, Ino stood and retrieving her bokken. She left the semi-isolated training area, debating about skipping lunch or not. In all honesty, she needed a shower, but there was no denying that she was hungry. Now, a pre-Hitokiri Ino would have went right for the shower, but Hitokiri Ino instead settled for lunch at a restaurant that would be semi-deserted this time of late morning.

Entering the small stand, Ino slid gratefully into a nearby open table. Slouching slightly, she offered her order to the single waitress on duty and turned her mind toward the so far futile luck of adding Ninjutsu into her Kenjutsu and the lack of information about what a Jinchūriki was. That word did not bode well, but there was not a single reference to it anywhere in anything she read.

Sitting up a moment later as her food arrived, Ino started picking at it, wondering what she should do about the word. It wasn't like she could ask Naruto. He most likely knew, but any word that meant power of human sacrifice was not something you could just ask someone, especially not someone you were starting to harbor romantic inclinations toward.

Ino shook her head, musing about how odd it was. When they had been at the academy, she had found him annoying. She grinned fondly. Then they'd been put on the same team, forced to interact and she had grown infatuated, which had grown quickly over the last few months into a full-blown possessive desire.

Not that Ino was sure about how to do that exactly. Her expertise at ensnaring males had dulled over the years. It had been almost three years since she had read an issue of Kunoichi Monthly. It didn't exactly help that she had no friends in the village even Shika and Choji no longer really fit into that category just acquaintances and co-workers.

Ino paused and thought about it. If she had the last three years to do overNo. There was nothing she would have done different, outside of killing Sasuke before he ever thought of defecting. Which would have left Sakura in the village. Hence Ino would have had her best-friend, adopted-sister and rival around and would not have been so lonely.

But, Ino decided with a faint smirk, she had Naruto now.

Provided, Ino added a moment later, she could make it clear she was extremely interested in him. Munching away happily on her meal, Ino decided the best course of action would be bringing up those frustrating near-kisses. Halfway through her meal, she felt a presence and looked up to find the semi-familiar, sunglass-wearing and coolly dressed Special Jōnin-tutor known as Ebisu.

"Ino-san, I hate to bother you, but since the other tables are full..."

"Huh?" Ino asked, blinking as she found that they were indeed full. When had that happened? Mentally shrugging, Ino waved a hand that it was okay and turned back to her meal.

The older man sat down across from her and then gave his order to the waitress, smiling at her in a way that made Ino wonder if his sunglasses were like the Byakugan and allowed him to see through her clothes. "You look rather beat up," Ebisu said after a moment, his smile never changing.

"Training," Ino offered blandly, taking a sip of her so far neglected jasmine tea. "I got Anko to teach me a few Ninjutsu, just basic Katon and stuff, but I've been trying to work them into my Kenjutsu style."

"Oh? Why would such a celebrated Kenjutsu user bother with elemental Ninjutsu?"

"Well," Ino said, but when his smile disappeared behind a serious gaze, she launched into a brief recount of her fight against Kisame and her frustrated training efforts. At the end of her diatribe, Ebisu reached up and removed his glasses, revealing, to Ino's surprise, eyes covered by milky cataracts. He remained silent for several long minutes and then spoke, with a voice she had learned to associate with experience and instruction.

"First, I'm happy to see at least one master Kenjutsu user final realize the problem with relying only on sword techniques," Ebisu said, tapping his sunglasses on the table. Second, don't bother trying to mimic his way of intermixing Ninjutsu with Kenjutsu. He's got years of experience and he's faster than you are. Instead, think of your own way of doing it."

"But Ninjutsu needs two hands to do the-" Ino started to say, before pausing as she realized the mistake she had been making. She could remember three years ago, a boy she had fought, who had used one-handed seals. "Ebisu-san, can you perform Ninjutsu with only one hand?"

"It's possible," the man said with a small nod, chewing on the ear to his sunglasses now.

"Really? Do you know how I would do it?" Ino asked, mind racing quickly at the knowledge she had gained.

"Before I tell you that," the Jōnin tutor said, setting his sunglasses down. "Aren't you an 'information gathering' type? Why do you need such offensive capabilities? The odds are against you facing such a high level enemy again."

"Because of Naruto-kun and Itachi," Ino said bluntly, equally as serious, revealing part of the decision on how to handle Unity. "The Hokage doesn't want to mess with an effective team. My foreseeable future, as is Hanabi's, is to be on the same team as Naruto-kun."

"Hence, you stand a large chance of facing this S-rank ninja again," Ebisu summarized with a tiny frown.

"That," Ino agreed, the words and emotions escaping her before she realized it, "and because I want to protect Naruto-kun as best I can."

"I see," Ebisu said after a moment, before lacing his fingers together and resting them on the table. "The trick to performing one-handed seals is actually rather easy. Just try any simple elemental Ninjutsu you know one handed, but you'll have to concentrate much harder than normal. However, if you can do it, then after a while you'll be able to do it as naturally as others can with two hands."

"Wait," Ino said, eyes widening slightly in surprise and confusion. "If its that easy, why does everyone keep using two-handed seals?"

"Part of it is psychological. The hand seals do nothing more than mold chakra. The various combinations merely give the ninja something to help with their concentration while performing the jutsu. For proof that you don't need two hands, or no hands, the Yondaime's Rasengan is a prime example of the no seal method and Hokage-sama can perform his Raikiri with one-handed seals."

"So its possible to..."

"Yes. But single-hand seals take a lot of practice to use and the no-hand seal method takes decades."

"Wow, decades? No wonder Naruto used to brag about doing the Rasengan," Ino muttered, and seeing his perplexed look turned back to the conversation. "About single hand, you said part of it was psychological. There's more?"

"Another part is the way they are taught. In our business, 'if it works don't fix it'. The only other reason is that its rare to develop the needed concentration," Ebisu said. "Usually, you have to have an unusually strong affinity for the element your trying to manipulate and even then its not likely to develop. Of the thousands of ninja in Konoha, I can only count three that use an elemental Ninjutsu without a hand seal or with only one."

"I see," Ino said, then shifted uneasily. "Do you think I could do it?"

"Won't hurt to try."

* * *

__

September 28th, Border Post Fifteen, between Kaze no Kuni and Kusa no Kuni, formerly Kuma no Kuni

Shibata Katsuie was a Sunagakure Jōnin of little fame. He had come from a regular village family. He was the first in his entire lineage to obtain either samurai or ninja status. So it had been a surprise to him when he had been given command of a lookout post, which contained both samurai and more experienced ninja.

He had been told by the council and the Kazekage that with Kusa claiming neutrality and having only recently settled their war, to expect more organized skirmishes with Iwa forces to occur. Katsuie had made a quick assessment and organized several rather ingenious patrol systems and other various tricks. Upon his arrival that evening, he had laid out a brief outline of his ideas, expecting to have time to implement them.

He would be proven wrong.

It was late, or at least if felt that way, but Katsuie had a lot to do before he could sleep. He scowled at the maps of the border and areas of interest spread over the small desk in his office. He knew his plans would work, had absolute faith, but he also knew that plans did not always work once they encountered the enemy.

Still, he would rather be in the office warm and sand-free, compared to the poor lookouts outside in the cold desert night, battered by howling wind and stinging sand. Leaning forward, the Jōnin rested his chin on a hand, studying the map of the current patrol patterns. It seemed wrong. The number of encounters was falling, but he knew from other reports that there were no increases in Iwa activity elsewhere.

A lull in activity, when for months and months their enemies had been constantly launching one skirmish after another.

At the polite knock on his office door, he looked up, setting his musings aside. "Yes?"

"Shibata-san," one of the various ninja, a Genin actually, said after opening the door and bowing "I know you haven't eaten, but I wasn't sure what to prepare or even if you would like anything to eat."

"Huh? Oh, of course," Katsuie said, realizing that he hadn't eaten anything other than a hurried lunch that afternoon before setting out. "I'm not actually hungry right now. I have a lot to do."

"Of course," the Genin said with another bow, before hesitating. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Eh, sure. Gotta stay awake somehow," Katsuie joked, seeing some of the tension in the younger ninja melt away. "Hmm, you have a name?"

"Ukita Naoie" the Genin answered nervously. "My Jōnin-sensei was Yasuke-san."

"Yasuke? I didn't know he had-" Katsuie said, before pausing, eyes widening slightly. "Wait, what do you mean by 'was'?"

"Yasuke-sensei and the others on my team were killed two months ago in a skirmish. I just barely survived and have been assigned here permanently."

"I see," Katsuie managed, blinking as he stared at the young boy. Well, maybe not boy so much as young man. He looked to be at least fourteen. His small stature and slender nature made him appear feminine. That face didn't help either, delicate features and an innocence that didn't belong on a Suna ninja.

Shaking his head, Katsuie turned back to the maps, before looking up once more at the leaving Genin. "Naoie-kun, does it seem strange that the number of skirmishes have diminished?"

"I've never noticed," the Genin answered, turning back. "Though, yes, it is strange. Iwa ninja and Tsuchi samurai are very fanatical. It took near economic ruin and social collapse to make them agree to a cease fire with Hi no Kuni."

"Exactly! he exclaimed. So why have they suddenly started tapering off the skirmishes?" Katsuie said absently, scowling at the maps once more as the Genin left. At the back of his mind, just out of his reach, he felt the answer. The answer came soon enough as the sound of someone shouting outside his office disturbed him.

Stomping across the room, he flung his door open, prepared to shout at them in annoyance, but instead heard what they were shouting. The look outs on the eastern edge of the Border Post had spotted enemies approaching. Katsuie watched his people move expertly to counter the unusual development, when Tsuchi Forces flooded in from the south, making a mockery of the Post's defenses.

Within minutes, the Post was thrown into chaos, two dozen Kaze no Kuni Samurai and a dozen Suna ninja were gone in the blink of an eye. Shouts filled the air as samurai and ninja tried to coordinate, to piece together what was going on. In the midst of it all was Katsuie, fighting desperately, trying to find a solution to the problem.

Of all the things he expected, he had not expected an organized assault directly on the Border Post.

The fighting grew vicious, more chaotic; ninja and samurai falling like flies. Katsuie and his small team fought like devils as he tried to direct the forces, but he was quickly realizing how futile that was. Turning at the last minute as he felt one of the men behind him fall, he jabbed the attacker with a kunai to the throat.

He didn't rejoice, instead, he shouted for his men to scatter and gave the fall back order. There was no other choice. This post was lost and they needed time to regroup. Ducking a punch, he grabbed the arm and, pivoting, swung around, using his momentum to continue the enemy's motion, slamming him head-first into a building.

Turning, his eyes darted around at the chaotic bloodshed filling the streets of the post. He dodged another attack, slamming a kunai home into the enemy's chest. He leapt aside as another fell, revealing a bloody and panting Naoie, who noticed him and blinked vacantly, "Shibata-san?"

"Yeah, come on," the Jōnin said, grabbing the boy and dragging him along as he spotted others attempting to flee while the Tsuchi no Kuni Forces brutal slaughtered them. Katsuie ran blindly down an alley, jumping a fence alongside Naoie, racing through even more bloody fighting as Kaze no Kuni forces attempted to retreat.

"Just beyond that wall is the desert," Naoie said, breathing heavily as he pointed at a far wall. Are we retreating?"

"Have to. The fuckers planned this perfectly," Katsuie growled, killing another without paying full attention. "All those skirmishes, they weren't just to test our strength, they were to plant units to come in from behind."

"Down!" Naoie shouted, shoving Katsuie aside and they both rolled painfully out of the path of an attack. Katsuie recovered first and launched a Kaze no Yaiba, slaughtering his enemy. Yanking Naoie up, he set out, now joined by a few other Suna ninja, many of whom were wounded in some way. Soon enough they were clear of the wall and out into the desert. They continued moving until Katsuie paused and turned back.

"Shibata-san?"

"Fuck," Katsuie said, eyes widening as the elusive thought from earlier finally crystallized for him. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! We gotta get to Sunagakure!"

"Why?" Naoie asked of the small group.

"Because they're not destroying the Border Post," Katsuie said, turning to face them. "They're planning on using it. Those fuckers are invading us!"

It had taken less than an hour to overpower the Kaze no Kuni forces of Border Post Fifteen and into a retreat. Later, it would be discovered that they were the only Post that even managed a successful retreat. For the moment, they retreated even further as stragglers arrived and token patrols of Tsuchi no Kuni forces hunted them.

The Invasion of Kaze no Kuni had begun.

* * *

Leading his team of Genin to the selected training grounds for their evening practice, Rock Lee felt a wave of loss he couldn't quite put into words. Neji was gone, had disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a wife and child. Leaving behind Tenten, who acted strong, holding her sorrow deep inside, he was sure, without shedding a tear.

Lee could, at times, be very perceptive. He had been the one to see the impending end of Tenten and Neji, had seen the eventual shattering of their team as they each went their separate ways. So it had been no surprise, at least to him, when he had hugged a stoic looking Tenten and told her quite clearly that Neji loved her, had told her not to worry.

She had shoved him away, shouted for him to leave, but Lee had known better. At least for a moment, the lost look in her lovely brown eyes had disappeared, filling Lee with hope. While Lee had never truly grown close to Neji not from lack of trying on his part they had remained only teammates. He had long ago learned from Gai that if Lee truly cared for Tenten, then he would have to support her no matter what.

Thinking of his mentor, he wondered about the mission the man had been assigned. It would be dangerous if such a powerful ninja as Gai-sensei was needed. He struck a pose, just thinking about it, while his Genin team continued past, having long grown accustomed to his antics. Shaking it off, he hurried on, catching a hint of a semi-familiar voice as he caught up with his team at the occupied training grounds.

Oblivious to their presence was a girl, maybe ten, dressed in a dark outfit and striking a post repeatedly. In the clear light of the moon and stars, Lee watched her intently, the way her feet moved through a complex pattern and her hands alternated between open and closed strikes. There was a rhythm, a flow, which Lee's expert ears detected.

Her Traditional Jūken Style, with an intermixing of Hinata's Amatsuyanagi Style and something that didn't quite fit such flowing styles. He knew the girl of course, considering his missing teammate. Hanabi, formerly of the Hyūga. He watched along with his Genin, a tiny grin on his face, as he studied her style, struck by the beauty of it.

"Tch, come on princess, you can hit harder than that," Ino crowed from a tree branch overhead, a note of disproval ringing in her tone.

"Why do you persist in calling me that?" Hanabi countered, stopping her pattern and turning slightly toward the girl.

"It suits you," Ino countered with a shrug. "Now, start hitting the post again, Hanabi-_hime_, or I'll come down there and spar you."

"I would most likely get more out of sparring you, Yamanaka-san, than hitting this wooden post," Hanabi said, but turned back to the post nevertheless.

"Yosh, I am happy to see such a lovely flower of Konoha so diligently practicing!" Lee said loudly, mostly because he had a brilliant idea of creating a mini-tournament between the girl and his own Genin.

"Lee-san?" Ino said, dropping from the branch, smiling at him even as Hanabi froze and turned to face them. "What are you doing out here?"

"My students, who burn brightly with youthful flames, are looking toward the Chūnin exams. Thus, I have been giving them extra training in preparation for the event." Lee explained, nodding as he returned Ino's smile. "I see you too have a student? This is most surprising as I had not heard that you were a Jōnin."

"Huh? Oh, Hanabi?" Ino asked, startled, before shaking her head. "No, you got it wrong. I'm just helping her sensei out. Naruto-kun is out on a mission and he asked me to make sure she practiced."

"Yosh, Naruto-san is her sensei?" Lee asked, startled as he glanced at the slightly defiant looking girl. "Then she would be an excellent sparring partner for my students."

"Uh, Lee-sensei..."

"Yosh, I know you may feel uncertain about fighting a fellow Konoha Shinobi," Lee said, turning to address the slender girl Yūhi Kojiro. "However, in the Chūnin exams, it is not unusual to face those from the same village. Besides, as such bright flames of youth, you cannot back down from such challenges."

"Er...right," the tallest one of the three, Matsudaira Teru, said. "I just don't think this would really be fair. I'm taller than her..."

"Establishing your excuse for when you lose?" Hanabi asked, her tone amused. "I suppose the other one will claim it is because I am a girl, and he could not bring himself to hit me."

"Oooh, you should not say such things," Lee said, amused more than anything.

"Okay, girl or not, I say we kick her ass!" Mirua Anjin, the last on his team said, punctuating his sentiment by smacking a fist into his hand.

"Well, if you guys wanna fight," Ino said with a shrug, before addressing Lee. "So, one-on-one, winner stay's in?"

"That sounds-"

"No," Hanabi interjected, a tight smirk on her face. "I'll face them all at once. Three-on-one."

"Baka," Ino said, smacking Hanabi upside the head. "I know you're good, but you're not me or your sensei. One on one would work fine for the moment."

"Excuse me, Yamanaka-san," Hanabi said glaring at her, "but I have more confidence than that in both my skills and Naruto-sensei's teaching abilities."

"Fine, you wanna get your ass kicked, who am I to argue?" Ino countered, and then, nodding at Lee, retreated into the trees.

Lee grinned, and then turned to address his three rather eager students. "Yosh, remember your flames burn bright and, win or lose, you are proud Shinobi of Konoha."

"Its three-on-one," Anji said with a smirk. "We're not going to lose."

"Yosh, just give it your best!" Lee said with a bright smile before retreating to join Ino. It would be an interesting match, or at least he believed it would be, considering the people involved. Anji was by far the fastest on the team, Kojiro was a superb genjutsu user and tactical leader, while Teru used his familys taijutsu style Reiryuu and was the most technical fighter of the three.

Hanabi, on the other hand, had the Jūken and apparently the mysterious style that belonged to Hinata, along with whatever training Naruto had given her. Her rhythm was flawless. He knew as a former Hyūga that she two would be an accurate, precise, and technical fighter.

Anji moved first and the fight erupted between the three.

Hanabi slapped aside a punch from the boy and struck Anji in the stomach, only to backpedal as Teru attacked. Hanabi, ducking a punch, caught his wrist and then somehow managed to throw the larger boy, which sent him crashing into Kojiro just as Anji came charging back into the fight. Hanabi nimbly dodged his combination attack, but fell victim to Teru's from the other side.

The girl recovered quickly. Very quickly.

Lee blinked, surprised at her skill and abilities. Far better than he had been expecting, especially from Naruto, who had only recently started teaching.

"Kami, she's sloppy," Ino muttered, watching the fight as well.

"Yes, from the way she moves, it is obvious this is her first time facing three opponents at once," Lee agreed. However, her skills are quite surprising. It almost appears as if she were reading their moves with her Byakugan, but, according to Neji, Hanabi's bloodline was sealed."

"It was and is," Ino confirmed.

"Then how is she managing to read their moves before they can attack?" he asked as Teru used his greater reach to force Hanabi to retreat.

"Its a technique Naruto-kun taught her," Ino explained, wincing as Anji was knocked unconscious by Teru when Hanabi twisted aside to avoid Teru's kick. "It allows her to focus her eyesight a thousand fold. She's been adapting it to augment her fighting ability."

"So it is a rudimentary Byakugan," Lee summarized as Teru sent Hanabi to the ground hard.

"From what I gather, yeah," Ino nodded as Hanabi regained her feet and cart-wheeled over a kick while forming hand seals. "We were a bit busy at the moment, so I wasn't paying too much attention to the details when he explained it."

Busy?" Lee asked, wincing as Hanabi managed to use Teru to knock Kojiro down.

"Long story," Ino said, shaking her head as Hanabi was knocked down yet again and just barely managed a sloppy shoulder roll.

"Ah," Lee said, "Hanabi seems to be adapting well to the situation."

"Yeah, but she's still sloppy as hell," Ino countered.

"Yosh, but she is a bright flame of youth, no doubt!" Lee said brightly, as Hanabi finally laid out Teru, only to be caught in a genjutsu from a wobbling Kojiro.

"That's match," Ino said with a huff. "She hasn't learned how to dispel genjutsu."

"Actually," Lee said seriously, as he took in the results of the battle, "I would say she won. Teru and Anji are out cold and Kojiro is barely conscious, which I believe affects the effectiveness of a genjutsu."

"Maybe, but that little bitch won't be happy with that," Ino snorted, shaking her head and glancing at him. "So, how's Tenten holding up?"

"As well as could be expected," Lee answered with a nod, not glancing back, but aware of Ino's knowing look. "Even such a bright flame of youth as hers cannot deal with the disappearance of one so dear to them."

"About that," Ino said, turning to glance at him, a guarded look on her face. "I'm not so sure he disappeared, so much as he was removed."

"But who would do such a thing?"

"You know who," Ino said seriously, eyes never wavering from his.

"Unity," Lee said. At her nod, he sighed. Of course he knew of the mysterious group. The only known goal of the group was to unite the land and restore the Hokage to true power. Yet rumors persisted; rumors of disappearances, assassinations, and other despicable deeds.

"Well, either way, keep this to yourself," Ino said after a moment, "Now I better go down there and get Hanabi out of here before she goes batty and tries to fight them all again."

"I understand," Lee said with a nod and smile. "Tell Naruto-san that Hanabi-chan does him credit."

"I will," Ino said with her own smile before dropping to the ground.

* * *

The forest was a blur of black and silver as the four travelling companions raced along the ground. To the left, Kiba rode Akamaru, hunched against the giant dogs shoulders, while Naruto kept pace to his right, crouched on the back of an armored toad the size of a small horse. They were just beyond the Great Wall of Hi no Kuni, heading toward the rendezvous spot with the Kumo ninja.

"So, after you tried sneaking in as a girl, what'd you do?" Kiba asked with a snicker.

"I decided to give it a rest," Naruto answered, smirking at him, "lull them into a false sense of security. Besides, I got a new plan now and it'll definitively get me into that place for keeps."

"Heh, sure sure," Kiba said, shaking his head. "Every guys thinks they have a plan that'll get them into Rezuba-ru and be allowed to stay. Trust me, that place is harder to get into than Hinata's pants."

"Maybe for you," Naruto countered with a smirk. "Trust me, my plan won't fail."

"Whatever," Kiba muttered, shaking his head.

Naruto chuckled and focused his attention on the path, wondering about how Yugito would react. Did she know that he was going to be the one on this mission or was it just random coincidence? For that matter, how did he feel about seeing her again after what had happened?

That night three years ago during the new years celebration in Kumo, the carnal indulgence that should have never happened. He could still feel her beneath his fingers, the desire and desperate need of her kisses, he could still hear the moans and passionate encouragement she had given him.

Helloooooo? Earth to Naruto?" Kiba's voice drifted in from the distance and Naruto snapped his attention back to the world around him.

"Huh? Wha?" Naruto managed, blinking.

"Yeesh, you were really off in la-la-land weren't you," Kiba muttered, shaking his head. "I asked if you had heard of Unity."

"Unity?" Naruto asked, looking at the Kiba, unable to help the feeling of loathing that came with the thoughts of that group. "What about them?"

"Well, I _was_ going to ask what you thought about them," Kiba said, looking a tad uneasy, "but from that killing intent, I'm assuming you're in the 'I don't trust them' camp."

"More like the 'I'm going to kill them' camp," Naruto muttered darkly. "You?"

"Me?" Kiba asked, a wry smile on his face. "Well, if I _were_ on their side I wouldn't tell you now. But, since I'm not, I'll go ahead and say I'm strongly in the 'I don't trust them' camp. Too much is unknown about them. They're goal is all fine and dandy, but there's too many rumors to ignore. Besides, they've never explained what they mean by 'to unite the land and restore the Hokage to true power'."

"Oh, you want to know?" Naruto asked sourly. "Basically, they want to kill the Daimyo so the Hokage rules both Konoha and Hi no Kuni. Of course, they also want to kill the Hokage and replace him with their puppet so that _they_ can control the country. Small details they fail to mention."

Kiba blinked rapidly. "Are you shittin me?"

"No," Naruto said, wishing that he was. He had enough on his mind already. Unity was something he wished he could obliterate from existence.

"Holy fuck, how do you know that?"

"Masked perv told me," Naruto explained. "Seems they're looking to use people that can sway public support or something, former Hokage family and stuff like that. I don't see how it'd work, but I don't care. Its just one more thing for me to deal with."

"Geez," Kiba muttered, shaking his head. "I knew they were shady and not to be trusted, but if that's their goal, we need to do something."

"Tell ya what," Naruto said, struck by sudden inspiration. "After we get back, meet me at the top of the Hokage Mountain. Until then, don't breathe a word about what I told you, okay? Masked perv's made it clear that we have to be careful how we handle these guys."

"Okay," Kiba said dubiously, but seemed content to relent for the moment.

Naruto felt a buzz of excitement. He knew that Kakashi had others involved in the Niju Shotai, though he didn't know who. If Kiba agreed, as Naruto expected he would, then that would be at least three people he could count on. Of course, Naruto mused silently, he had to be careful about how much he trusted Kiba.

Sure, he appeared to be against Unity, but that was no guarantee Kiba wasn't one of them. This way he could put off a discussion of the Niju Shotai until after he spoke to Ino.

Putting thoughts of Kiba's loyalty aside, he focused on Ino. The girl who had kissed him before he left three years ago, whom he shared so many intimate moments with since then. The girl that he trusted. She would reject him the minute she found out about the demon inside him. Oh, Naruto had no illusions about that. He had yet to meet more than three people that reacted favorably toward a Jinchūriki, outside of other Jinchūriki.

Somehow, though, Naruto refused to accept it. His bull-headed determination forced him to believe that she would accept him. Maybe they would never be lovers, but friends, he could live with that. The scar on his forearm was a symbol of his determination not to let the bastards win and, in this, Uzumaki Naruto would be unmoving.

"Akamaru says there just up ahead," Kiba said, his tone growing tight. "He also says there are a lot of scents up ahead."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, glancing at his companion curiously.

"People," Kiba explained absently. "Sometimes he refers to people as scents. According to him, the other people are faint, so they might just be lingering scents, but he can definitely smell two ninja ahead."

"Ah," Naruto said, feeling on edge despite the chance that Akamaru was overreacting. Then seeing two people, standing openly in a clearing bathed in the moonlight, he grinned slightly "I think that's them."

"Ya think?" Kiba retorted. "Oooh, check out blondie. Not bad, not bad at all."

"Yugito-chan?" Naruto asked, blinking as he focused his attention on the lone female. A jolt of tumultuous sensations coursed through him, phantom memories, a tremor beneath his skin. It had been one thing to hear her name mentioned, but another to see her.

"Dude, you know her?" Kiba asked from beside him.

"Yeah, you could say that," Naruto said absently, struggling to get over the surprise. As they drew close, Naruto dispelled the toad he was riding and saw the startled look on her attractive face.

"No way," Kiba half-whispered as he slid from Akamaru's back and moved to stand next to Naruto. "She's your ex!"

"...Kami help me," Naruto whimpered, before plastering a smile on his face and moving to greet the other group.

* * *

Nii Yugito had grown up alone, rejected and reviled. Trained to be a killing machine of unequaled power. With her potent onijutsu, the Shikyo Tacchi, she lived up to that job description. For the first eighteen years of her life, nobody had ever survived her touch, no matter how glancing. Yugito feared nobody and nothing with her dreams were haunted by the Nekomata she contained. Next to that, death itself seemed inconsequential.

Then three years ago, she had met a boy. At the time, he had been only thirteen. They had fought and he had survived her touch, survived everything she had tossed at him. When she had gotten desperate and unleashed the Nibi on him, he had unleashed his own demon. She was defeated.

Shortly after that, on a training trip with a famous Sannin, he had turned up in her village.

He had been legal, had been drinking, and Yugito had wanted to know what the pleasure of touching someone else intimately felt like.

Somehow in all of that feelings that streamed from her night with Naruto, Yugito had discovered fear. Naruto scared her, not in and of himself, but because of what he represented for her. Out of all the people in the world, all the other she had ever met, he both refused to be reduced to such a weapon and accepted her as a person.

Treated her as a person.

_Believed_ she was a person.

Oh yes, Uzumaki Naruto was the only thing in this world that she feared... and loved.

Which made it diffcult to remain the weapon she really was, when he approached on a mission to exchange the scrolls between Hi no Kuni and Kiminari no Kuni. How could this happen? Why? what was she supposed to do now? Part of her wanted to flee, to run away and not face him and the way he rejected her worldviews. The other part wanted to embrace him, hug and kiss him, until she made him moan her name instead of that other girls.

__

'Ino'.

A low growl escaped her, making her teammate, Tani Tadasumi, shift nervously beside her. Yugito quickly mastered her flare of anger and loathing, wondering as always who 'Ino' could be. Naruto had been unaware of moaning the name that night, and Yugito had been unwilling to ask, unwilling to subject herself to the resultant pain.

When the two Konoha ninja were closer, Tadasumi formed a hand seal and ignited the various lanterns that they had staked out earlier, designed to harness lightning. It took her eyes a moment to adjust, but she recovered quickly and studied the two Konoha ninja. Naruto's face was more mature, and he stood taller and with an air of confidence. His blue eyes locked with hers, conveying emotions that unsettled her and, blushing, Yugito looked at the other boy.

He was about the same height as Naruto, dressed in a brown, probably leather, jacket and pants, with dark spiky hair, and red tribal face tattoos, which meant he was an Inuzuka. Sure enough, just on the edge of the light cast by their storm lanterns, she spotted a massive white dog watching and waiting. Turning her attention back to the two Konoha ninja, Yugito carefully avoided making eye contact with Naruto.

"I take it youre the Konoha team," Tadasumi said casually, before indicating Yugito. "This is Nii Yugito, Kumo Jōnin-"

"-Second strongest ninja in Kumo," Yugito added, ignoring the disgruntled look on her teammates face, smiling faintly at an amused Naruto.

"I am Tani Tadasumi, Kumo Jōnin," Tadasumi finished, before glancing between Naruto and the Inuzuka expectantly.

"Huh, oh, us?" the Inuzuka said, scratching his head absently. "I'm Inuzuka Kiba, Konoha Chūnin and that's Akamaru, Konoha Chūnin."

"Wait, so dogs can be promoted?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"Well, only the Inuzuka pack," Kiba explained with a shrug. "It was part of the clan's request when the Shodai was forming Konoha."

"Ahem!" Tadasumi interrupted pointedly, glowering at the two.

"Oh hold yer horses 'Sumi," Naruto said sourly, before turning away. A moment later he spun back around, one hand held behind his head and the other held out before him speaking loud and excitedly. "Alright boys and girls, listen up, I'm Konoha's Number One Prankster, Hero and the Next Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

Yugito could only blink at the display. For someone so powerful, he acted like an idiot at times. Then again, Yugito remembered how Jiriaya had acted when he arrived, so she should have expected this. Tadasumi seemed utterly unable to process the introduction, and Kiba looked torn between disbelief and laughing.

Suddenly, Yugito's lip twitched as she fought the urge to start laughing. Naruto relaxed his posture and crossed his arms, grinning broadly at them before turning to address Kiba. "Hey, so what'd ya think of my introduction?"

"Great! Superb!" Kiba said, unable to keep from laughing, though he tried to remain semi-serious. "Though I'm the number one prankster in Konoha, ya know."

"Nuh uh, remember I glued you to your seat in the academy."

"Maybe, but remember I'm the one that tarred and feathered you," Kiba countered.

"Hey, I was the one that tricked you into going into the girls locker room naked," Naruto shot back. "Besides, I'm also the one that pants'd Sasuke in front of the whole class."

"True on both. Though, while impressive," Kiba admitted with an air of pride, "I'm the one that convinced all the girls in class that they had got pregnant by sharing water from the bottle they stole from Sasuke. Plus, I'm the one that got that kunoichi teacher to flash our class because she thought it was just her and Iruka."

"Hmm, but I can top both of them!" Naruto countered, rubbing his chin. "I stole every copy of Icha Icha within Hi no Kuni, including the Hokage's copy, twice, I replaced all of Ino-chan's clothes and possessions with orange copies and dyed Shino's hair orange."

"Impressive, but it doesn't top the flashing teacher," Kiba countered smugly.

"Okay, how about this," Naruto said with a grin. "I created a few dozen Kage Bunshin that looked like a naked Anko and had them randomly run up and proclaim their love for people. Don't forget I had one actually make out with _your_ sensei in public and claim to love her!"

"...ya know," Kiba said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, that one is the ultimate prank. Even compared to when I convinced our entire class in the academy that Sasuke was gay."

"See, I'm the number one prankster!" Naruto bragged happily.

"For the moment!" Kiba countered, shooting Naruto a challenging look.

"Excuse me!" Tadasumi shouted, interrupting the two and destroying Yugitos' entertainment. "We're here to exchange scrolls so our countries don't go to war; not listen to two juvenile delinquents recount their idiotic pranks!"

"Idiotic," Naruto said hollowly, looking at the Kumo ninja. "pPanks?"

"Ahem," Yugito interjected, sensing an impending fight brewing. "How about we just exchange scrolls? I'm sure we'd all hate to fail our missions if you got into a fight."

"She's got a point," Naruto admitted reluctantly, glancing at Kiba.

"Yeah, I suppose," Kiba said with a dismissive glare at the other boy, before turning and tossing her the scroll. He caught hers deftly, handing it over to Naruto, who pocketed it.

"Come on Nii," Tadasumi said with a dark glare at the two Konoha ninja as he backed out of the lit clearing. Yugito followed reluctantly, stopping just on the edge of the light to turn back and look at Naruto. He was standing just on the other side, looking back as well, they're eyes locked, an awkward air filling the gap between them.

He raised his hand as if to wave, she moved to follow, before they both hesitated and lowered them.

"Well, see ya..." Naruto said, his tone confused.

"Yeah, see ya," Yugito agreed, equally befuddled.

They both turned and continued after their teammates, without looking back again.


	17. Chapter 15: Opening Salvo

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 15:  
-_Opening Salvo_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

There were few things about Hatake Kakashi that were widely known; namely, his left eye wasnt technically his, his only attachment was to the memorial stone , his only friends were a psychopathic woman and another who was so insane she now spent her days huddled in the corner of a very dark cell in a place three steps removed from Hell. Most notable was his love for literature of questionable quality, and the willingness with which he publically flaunted said reading material.

A fact not so widely known was that much of Kakashis time was spent perched on a rock spire of the Hokage Mountain, staring into the distance. Doing absolutely nothing. No duties. No mysteries. No porn, even. In these precious few moments, the world faded away past guilt receded, recriminations that constantly coursed through him even if he was unaware of it, all fear and doubt. He simple existed. Alone. As perhaps he was meant to be.

Hence his surprise when he felt the presence of someone else, someone standing on the side of the rock spire he was perched atop. Looking to his right and down he found Mitarashi Anko, her form hidden by her the hanging trench coat. She said nothing, just stood there staring in a companionable silence, though successfully curtailing his oneness with the universe.

Kakashi looked away and resumed his meditation. Finally, he quietly made his way back to the mountain proper where the Hokage Museum stood. Anko remained his silent companion. It was not until they stood at the base of the mountain that he said a word to acknowledge her presence.

"Anko."

"Kakashi."

They paused for a beat as they stopped within a forested area, hidden from prying eyes. Turning, Kakashi crossed his arms and met the gaze of the bored looking woman, who at one point had been his lover. Taking a deep breath, he resigned himself to the role of Hokage once more. "So?"

"The Kazekage wasn't just screwin us around. Seems they _were_ spotted in Yama no Kuni. They left a nice little trail of bodies, mostly Iwa ANBU, before they disappeared. I tracked them as far as the former Kiba no Kuni before their trail disappeared. Not sure where they went after that."

"And it took you this long why?" Kakashi asked blandly, mentally swearing to himself.

"Well, I would have reported in sooner, but you said there wasn't a pressing need for it," Anko answered, arching an eyebrow. "So after I cut back through Kaze no Kuni, I stopped off in Kawa no Kuni for some of their dango."

"I see," Kakashi muttered, his eye drooping in seriousness. "I can't send any ANBU teams through there now. Not only would I have to deal with Kusa no Kuni, but Kaze no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni are at war."

"Huh? Last I heard they were escalating skirmishes, but little else."

"About a week after your little scouting trip and subsequent detour for dango, Tsuchi no Kuni mounted a full scale invasion of Kaze no Kuni. They were stalled just north of the Kawara River, meaning that for the moment Tsuchi controls everything north of that," Kakashi said, shoulders sagging. "Kusa no Kuni is remaining neutral, probably because they recently ended their war and can't secure their borders just yet. Of course, it is suspicious that Mori no Kuni suddenly became a part of Kusa no Kuni."

"Coincidence. Kusa's neutral, remember?" Anko asked sarcastically, which earned her an amused eye curve.

"Its a bought neutrality," Kakashi said after shaking his head. "They've already applied for Kage Status, with the backing of-"

"Wait, let me guess," Anko interrupted, hand to her temples in imitation of a psyhic. "Could it be Tsuchi no Kuni?"

"Impressive, now what are this weeks numbers for the Hi no Kuni lottery?"

"Why would I tell you," Anko asked, grinning. "If anyone is going to play them, it'll be me."

"Greedy," Kakashi teased playfully, before sighing heavily. "Well, go get some rest. Things are quiet for the moment. Naruto's out of the village on a mission and Hanabi's been training with Ino."

"No rest for me yet. I need to start meeting with a few of the Clans," Anko said with resignation, shaking her head. "I know Naruto hasn't said yes for sure yet, but I need to start now, because he will."

"I suppose so," Kakashi admitted reluctantly, feeling the weight of his office growing heavier by the minute. "Which one are you going to see first?"

"Well, I already talked with the Aburame," Anko said, rubbing at her neck. "They took forever, but they've agreed. Even signed a little proclamation confirming it, and worded exactly how I asked. So I guess I'll talk with the Kurama, Saturobi, Inuzuka and Nara Clan Heads. They should agree to back Naruto completely; I'm thinking the Akadou will be after them."

"What about the others?"

"The Akimichi shouldn't be a problem once I get the Nara onboard, so things will be good there. The Hyūga and Yūhi Clans though, I'm not exactly their favorite person so I'll probably get Jiriaya or Tsunade to talk to them."

"And the Yamanaka?" Kakashi asked curiously, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, obviously, I'm not going to risk talking to Inoichi just yet," Anko said with a snort. "He'd probably freak and tell Ino. That would devastate Naruto. You know the knee jerk reaction to that information is going to be...less than flattering."

"True," Kakashi agreed with a sigh, "which is part of the reason I'm planning on altering the law we told him about. Ninja, well we can adjust and accept anything eventually, but villagers not so much. So the law will strictly prohibit revealing this information to any villager, under penalty of death and seizure of holdings."

"That should keep most people in check," Anko agreed with a chuckle, before turning serious. "This is a big gamble, Kakashi. Don't make me regret agreeing to it. If Naruto gets hurt..."

"I know, I know," Kakashi said, eye drooping sadly before it curved up happily, his heart genjtusu appearing behind him. "How about dinner tonight? We could both use some good company!"

"...I guess," Anko said with a shrug. "I was going to offer you a nooner, but dinner is better. Less hassle."

"Wha-"

"Lata, Kakashi-kun!" Anko cackled, before disappearing in a shunshin, leaving him standing there bewildered.

Slapping his forehead, he began the trek back to the village, wondering if the headaches that came with trying to date Anko were worth the effort. Not that he would bother to figure out such irritating truths. With the greatest of resignations, he produced his precious reading material, giggling as he walked.

* * *

They had spent the night in Ishi no Kuni, a small village called Daiishi made up of nothing but hovels and alleys. It had been Naruto's suggestion, and considering how things had gone at their meeting, Kiba had relented. After all, it wasn't every day that you ran into your ex who happened to be a Jōnin from another village. A certain amount of understanding was called for between men. Plus, it had given him time to try out the Ishi no Kuni girls...

Snorting, Kiba shook his head glaring at the boy he was traveling alongside. The night had been a bust in the girl department. He wouldn't touch any of them with a ten-foot poll. Illogical though it was, Kiba blamed Naruto. Still, by three that afternoon, he'd be back in Konoha. Wwho knew, maybe he could get a little something from one of the girls there.

Turning his attention away from his thoughts, he talked briefly with Akamaru and then took in his surroundings. Ishi no Kuni was dominated by wasteland, plains of stone dotted with spots of beach grass. Far off in the distances stone spires rose up from the earth at odd angles. Not exactly a hostile place, really, though Naruto seemed less interested in that and more interested in talking to the large armored frog upon which he was mounted.

After several more long minutes, Kiba finally grew irritated at the silence and decided to start an argument. At least then, they would have some noise and something to kill the time before reaching Konoha. The only problem was what to choose from; pranking was out and Kiba didn't want to delve into Unity as he didn't want to suffer another wave of killer intent. Besides, he agreed with Naruto.

Hmm, that just left....

"What is it with you and blondes?" Kiba asked suddenly, glancing at his current teammate, who blinked in confusion "I mean, Yugito and Ino..."

"Uh, well, I never thought about it really," Naruto admitted, blinking. "I suppose I should branch out, huh?"

"Er, sure," Kiba blinked, taken back by that response.

"Well, Kurenai is free now right and Anko," Naruto continued absently. "I suppose I could try Hinata, hmmm, and your sister ain't seeing anyone, right?"

"Keep talking," Kiba growled, eye twitching, "and I'm going to kill you."

"Hey, you're the one that brought up my relationships," Naruto countered, shooting him a glare.

"Relationships? All you seem to be doing is running around collecting 'golden prizes'," Kiba shot back snidely.

"Bah, you're just jealous cause they keep coming my way without me trying," Naruto countered smugly.

"I hate you right now," the Inuzuka grated out, thinking several dark and violent thoughts about how to teach the boy not to brag.

"Oh? Then remind me to tell you about that time with Temari," Naruto said with a chuckle. "You know, the one from Suna?"

"I really hate you."

"Then there was this one girl in Tsuchi no Kuni..."

"Okay, now youre just making it up!" Kiba shouted, turning to glare at his companion.

"Maybe," Naruto said, wearing a smug smirk.

Kiba however, knew exactly how to wipe that look off the boys face, and he wouldn't even have to break a sweat. "That's it! I'm telling Ino!"

"Wha?!" Naruto exclaimed, smirk disappearing along with most of the color in his face.

"You heard me, obviously, if you've been with _that_ many girls, she deserves to be warned," Kiba continued, flashing a vicious smirk of his own at the terrified ninja.

"H-hey now, it wasn't that many!" Naruto said, eyes widening. "Just Yugito-chan, and it was only once!"

"...YOU SLEPT WITH HER?!" Kiba exclaimed, eyes widening as he nearly fell off Akamaru. Holy shit, he hadn't thought they had gone that far. Making out, heavy petting, but to...Kiba stared at Naruto in near awe.

"No, I didn't! I never said that! Shut up!" Naruto sputtered, tone clipped and panicked.

"You did! Holy fuck! I have _got_ to tell Ino now," Kiba teased, while grinning as he pictured the chaos that would erupt at the news.

"Do and you're a dead man!" Naruto countered, his voice darkening to a frightening level.

"Relax," Kiba said, holding a hand up, not really intimidated by the threat. Still, even _he_ knew better than to go telling other guys prospective girlfriends about past indiscretions. "I wouldn't really tell that psycho, she'd castrate me just for telling her and I'm personally fond of my family jewels remaining where there at."

"Yeah, well," Naruto said, then looked away, clearly flustered.

Kiba's laughter came in a short bark. He couldn't help it. Seriously. Naruto had defeated a ninja like Gaara as a Genin and recent rumor hinted that he'd even driven back Itachi! Yet, he seemed utterly afraid of someone like Ino. Well, Kiba admitted silently, it was understandable, considering the fact that they were both interested in each other.

At least Naruto was. Ino was something of an unknown. The girl hadn't exactly gotten close or hung out with anyone. She kept the world at arms length, especially after the Sakura fiasco. A brief frown marred Kiba's features, thinking about his two traitorous former teammates, still wanting to extract some small amount of vengeance on them.

Not so much for himself, as Kiba had moved past their betrayal shortly after it happened. While they had worked together, they had never really bonded. No, Kiba wanted vengeance on behalf of Kurenai, their sensei, who had cared for them so much. To take all that she had given them and then turn their backs on her? It amounted to spitting in the woman's face, to telling her that she was _nothing_ after all she had done for them.

Oh yes, Kiba wanted a pound of flesh from each of those treacherous bastards.

He was startled out of his thoughts by Akamaru's sudden bark of warning, and he shouted a warning to Naruto as he jumped from the dogs back, heading to the left while Akamaru went right. A moment later, following a high-pitched whine, the rock outcroppings they had been traveling between shattered, pelting them with rubble. Skidding to a crouching halt, Kiba whirled around, snarling, to find ten ninja arrayed before them. Each was dressed in identical gray kimono over full body tights, a camouflaged neck warmer, and a full head mask showing only eyes.

All sported Oto forehead protectors.

"Hey, Kiba," Naruto said, his voice carrying from the far right with a dark humor. "Bet fifty ryou I can kill all mine before you two can yours."

"You're on!" Kiba shouted back, and then barreled head first into the midst of the Otogakure squad.

* * *

Concentrate.

Concentrate.

A deep breath, mix the chakra in the lungs with air, form the Horse and Tiger seals, now exhale it sharply...

...

...

Nothing!

Ino swore loudly at the lack of results. She had been practicing as per Ebisu's suggestion, but she still couldn't manage the Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu or any other without using both hands. Grumbling, she crossed her arms, snorting in annoyance, wondering what the problem was. Ebisu said it was partly psychological and Ino accepted that she didn't need two hand seals to do the jutsu.

Concentration shouldn't have been a problem; Ino had proven just how focused and single-minded she could be.

So why couldn't she do this simple task? Was it the seals? Maybe her fingers were out of position? Walking through both seals to check, however, proved that possibility false. Ino really was at a loss.

"What am I doing wrong?!" Ino snapped, glaring and unconsciously adjusted the short ponytail she had worn ever since her first Chūnin exams. Sniffing in annoyance, she crossed her arms. She was thankful for the training outfit she wore, which kept her moderately warm and hid the few scars she bore along her torso, negating the drain of chakra normally used to keep up the needed beauty genjutsu.

"Maybe I'm not committing enough chakra?" Ino muttered, chewing her lip, thinking intently on the problem. It was a possibility. Maybe if she had to concentrate twice as hard, she needed to use twice as much charka? If that was the case, it would be best to use an earth jutsu, as there was less chance of losing chakra.

Concentrating her charka, making it heavy like the element she would be manipulating, she formed the Snake and then Dog hand seals and crouched, touching the ground. Ino felt a slight ripple run out from her hand. She even swore that she saw a small bubble in the earth, but there was no further evidence of her attempt at the Ishi Nanka no Jutsu.

Grumbling, Ino sat down with a disgruntled sigh, thinking that there was no reason to try the Fūton: Daitoppa or the Shurrai no Jutsu. At this rate, she was merely wasting chakra and achieving nothing in return. Maybe she just couldn't do single hand seals. Ebisu did say that it was rare to develop the ability. It galled her, because without that ability she would have no way of integrating Ninjutsu into her style of Kenjutsu.

Propping her chin in hand, Ino let her mind roam as she drifted in and out here and now. This type of meditation, which she had picked up from talking with Neji, would help her figure out the answer to her problems by not focusing directly on them, allowing her to approach the solution from the periphery. Eventually, a particular genjutsu drifted into her mind, one she hadn't used more than twice after Sakura had taught it to her.

'Daigo: Shinshin Tougou'.

Ino rejected the genjutsu. It was both an A-rank technique and a kinjutsu, and would also be like accepting Sakura's help. That was something Ino vehemently refused to do, no matter how useful the technique could be. Letting out a breath, Ino resumed her mental exploration.

That was when she remembered a moment three years ago.

"Attack for real," Ino murmured and then stood, creating a Kage Bunshin and sending it away from her. Once it reached the outer edge of the training area, the clone henged itself into Kisame. Fear, revulsion, hate welled up inside her just staring at the man.

"Hehe, so 'Hitokiri', ready for our rematch?" Kisame taunted, before bounding toward her with all the deadly, but playful, seriousness that she remembered from that night.

Ino's focus sharpened to an almost unnatural point. Suddenly, all that existed was this man and her urge to see him dead by her hands.

She ducked the slash at her neck easily. An instant later, she used a single hand to form the Snake and Dog seal. A brief moment of contact with the ground resulted in the earth turning liquid. Kisames image sank for a moment before recovering.

She followed up with her single-handed katon jutsu, attempting to engulf the man in a blast of flames. Kisame shielded himself with his sword, but by the time he could see her again, Ino had formed the Ram seal and engulfed the area with a thin mist. A wave of his sword cleared it, but he was unprepared for the explosive note she had planted on the ground. The detonation made her teeth vibrate.

Panting, hands on knees, Ino grinned at the crater, knowing that her henged clone had disappeared in the blast. That had not been powerful enough to be useful in real combat, but she _could_ do Ninjutsu one handed. For the first time, Ino thanked Naruto and his Kage Bunshin trick from three years ago.

"Okay, so just a few thousand more times and I'll be good to work it in with my sword routines," Ino muttered, grinning, amazed to discover that she was sweating.

Wobbling, she collapsed face first to the ground.

Closing her eyes, she decided to wait on continuing her training. Soon she was sound asleep on the forest floor, which is where Hanabi and Konohamaru found her a few hours later. Snoring, drooling and muttering something about Naruto.

They also found out that Ino did _not_ like being woken up.

* * *

__

Twenty miles off the coast of Mizu no Kuni...

Kakuzu couldn't decide which he felt more, annoyance or grudging respect.

His arrival in Mizu no Kuni had been uneventful, thanks mainly to his underground contacts who had provided him with secure and clandestine passage. One of the perks of being both an excellent bounty hunter and older than anyone currently alive; namely, you knew a lot of people with the right connections. Once in the country, it had been his decades of bounty hunting that put him on the path of his target, which lead him to the northeast island of Mizu. According the leads and rumors he gathered, the Sanbi frequented the sea around that island.

Half an hour later, when the several dozen Kiri ANBU turned up and began searching houses and caves, Kakuzu realized the ruse of the Sanbi host. The rumor that the Biju had escaped, the timing of it, the fact that ANBU were on the hunt: It had been a cover so that he could escape both Kiri and Akatsuki.

How the Jinchūriki had known of Akatsuki and its interest in him, Kakuzu didn't know, but it explained the situation. Very clever indeed.

Kakuzu was forced to waste even more time slaughtering the Kiri ANBU. No point in letting them collect the person he sought. Then spend even more valuable time to collect enough personal information to pick up the bastard's trail.

The hunt took him through mountains and valley villages, from island to island, often doubling back, until Kakuzu came to a small shipping village, where the young man named Suijin Nettou had secretly boarded a passenger ship headed for Nami no Kuni. Hence why Kakuzu now stood poised on the surface of the sea, watching the ship as it slowly moved toward him, contemplating whether to feel annoyance or grudging resepct.

Bah, he could decide later. Right now he needed to capture his quarry. Thankfully, as a Jinchūriki it would be limited in techniques, an onijutsu and mini-biju form, unlike the Kyūbi Jinchūriki. Kakuzu winced at the thought of a Jinchūriki trained as a normal ninja; a massive source of power and stamina combined with Nin, Gen and Tai Jutsu was a foreboding thought.

First thing first, that passenger boat would have to go.

After a century of life, he knew exactly which technique to use. Hands coming up, he formed a series of rapid seals before concentrating on the wind heart he held in his possession, pulling on its elemental chakra. Overhead, clouds began to swirl, building in tempo until a blast of wind slammed into the ship and sea with a mighty crash.

The force of the wind created swells, which he rode out easily, but which also smashed the ship apart. Eying the bodies littering the surface of the water, knowing many more had disappeared beneath the surface, he wondered if the Jinchūriki had been knocked unconscious or killed. At least that's what he worried about until several large slicing jets of water appeared.

Forming three rapid hand seals, Kakuzu used his original heart to counter the attack by causing the water immediately around him to rise up and create a barrier wall. The Suijinheki no Jutsu blunted the impact, creating even more waves from the assault as both water attacks collapsed back to their element.

Rising on the swell of a large wave, the Akatsuki agent caught his first glimpse of the opponent he faced. Light brown hair, purple eyes, a stitch like scar running down the left cheek of an otherwise unblemished face, and a slender build covered in a dark green shoulder wrap and a typical black bodysuit.

Thirteen years old.

Part of Kakuzu, the part that had willingly risked his life for an ideal when Taki had just formed, felt saddened. The rest of him, the larger part, marked his target. His hands began forming their next series of seals for the Suiton: Ryoutou Suiryuudan no Jutsu, which caused two massive dragons made of water to explode from the swell he rode and hurtle toward the surprised looking Jinchūriki.

The child countered by stomping his foot, and two spouts of water exploded upward, slicing the dragons apart. Kakuzu couldn't help the snort even as he focused on his Tiger mask, using its elemental chakra to create a Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu, which would in turn cause another spout of slicing water, creating the opening Kakuzu needed for a successful capture.

It happened as expected, several slicing spouts of water exploded upward, shredding his massive fireball. This signaled the next part of his attack. With a spray of water to cover his shunshin, the Akatsuki agent darted down and to the side to attack from behind with a controlled lightning strike.

Unfortunately, he encountered something he had not anticipated, a half dozen Nettou's. The result of a Mizu Bunshin, no doubt, but still unexpected. Kakuzu recovered quickly, and used a Housenka no Jutsu, filling the area with steam as each fire ball consumed a water clone. He had a moment to consider the use of the Mizu Bunshin, which could be considered a basic technique, thus it could be possible for a Jinchūriki to have learned it. But the technique sat on the border.

Catching movement on his right, the Akatsuki agent turned in time to see the younger ninja finish a hand seal. Kakuzu blinked, his attention darting to the water swirling nearby just in time for several water spikes to exploded up and toward him from all directions. Kakuzu quickly drew on the earth chakra in his Monkey mask and countered with Doton: Domu, hardening his body so that he could weather the attack.

Inwardly, he grimaced as the spikes slammed into him. He no longer had doubts. Something had gone terribly wrong with his plan to capture the Jinchūriki. That attack had been a purely advanced ninjutsu called Suiton: Suigadan, not something that a Jinchūriki, especially a Kiri one, would have been taught. Because Suijin knew water-based ninjutsu, Kakuzus options were limited.

True, Earth beat Water, but they were far from land and the boy had the power of a demon at his beck and call. Fire wasn't an option to counter the stronger Water-based attacks, nor Earth and Water, leaving Lightning and Wind. Of course, he could just be panicking. Perhaps Suigadan had been the only tradtional technique the Jinchūriki knew, something he had picked up from osmosis.

A sudden Suiryuudan no Jutsu, which Kakuzu countered with another Suiton: Ryoutou Suiryuudan no Jutsu, proved that false. The explosion of water and chakra when those met briefly obscured his vision. Thankfully, he recovered in time to see the Jinchūriki crouching over the surface of the water, hand held inches above it. Moving forward, the Akatsuki agent wondered what the bastard had planned.

Kakuzu sensed a spike of unnatural chakra. His eyes widened, watching a dark mist spread rapidly along the surface of the sea, and then, swirling, the darkness sunk beneath the surface.

A second later, the surface began to undulate, throwing Kakuzu off balance and halting his advance. A part of the sea surged upward, forming a watery hill, deep and blue and black. It rose up and up, a bulging swell that slowly took on the shape of a creature with a gray outline for its body. A vague hint of an ill-defined face flashed and shifted at the peak of the towering monstrosity, murky and indistinguishable, towering over him a good seven feet.

Scrambling backward, the Akatsuki agent's mind rapidly contemplated out how to handle this...this creature. It wasn't made up of just water. The gray fog that held it together had to a part of the Sanbi's chakra.

What did he have to use against such a creation?

The creature let out an odd wail, almost mournful, before a bubbling arm extended and smashed down, prompting Kakuzu to dodge. A wave formed from the blow, resulting in an embarrassing a balance issue, one that grew more pronounced as a now expanded arm and hand exploded upward from beneath the water. Thankfully, the Akatsuki agent had the skill to escape the things grasp before the fingers tightened to trap him.

Flipping in the air as the descended toward the water, Kakuzu shed his cloak and landing in a crouch, pushing off backwards and creating a rooster trail along his path. The thing didn't seem to have a lot of speed, so at least he had the time to partially unleash his Bull Mask, before leaping to avoid another strike. As he was airborne, a crackle of lighting snapped out. With a blinding flash of light, the mask unleashed the Raiton: Gian. striking the massive creature.

It jerked from the strike, and Kakuzu started to smirk until he realized the thing wasn't reacting. As a matter of fact, the thing seemed to have rendered the lightning little more than light. Touching down, Kakuzu frowned, more than a little disturbed by that turn of events. Water was a conductor for electricity. That thing should have exploded.

His eyes darted to the Jinchūriki, who stood passively behind his creature, holding Kakuzu's Akatsuki cloak in hand. Focusing on the creature and thinking creatively, Kakuzu retracted the Bull mask and instead summoned the Tiger and Eagle masks, fusing them together before unleashing a ninjutsu combination of wind and fire that he called Gouton: Tooboe Gouka.

The impact between the creature and the Gouton: Tooboe Gouka resulted in a cracking noise, followed by the eruption of a massive geyser that reached at least a hundred feet into the air. Slanted jets of gray water and billowing clouds of scalding steam quickly followed, prompting Kakuzu to make use of the Doton: Domu once more. As the clouds passed, he found the world behind them covered in a haze, broken by the first impact waves which crested just high enough to reaching his waist. A second later, a half-step behind the first, came the second set of impact waves.

Ones that blotted out the sky.

The impact sent him kerning deep beneath the surface of the sea, knocking him senseless. Down and down he went, the weight of his iron body dragging him deeper. As he regained his senses, Kakuzu instinctively began flailing, trying to reorient while fighting the pull of the undercurrent, before mastering that blind panic and released the Doton: Domu.

That done, he searched for air bubbles, finding them and kicking to follow their trajectory. The struggle against the currents made each stroke and kick feel futile, but slowly he won that fight. Even as he did, his lungs were beginning to burn from the lack of air. His nearly hundred years of experience was the only thing that kept him from speeding his pace in a panic. If he did that, he would use up what little oxygen he still had.

Despite his calm, his vision was dimming, and the need to breath grew stronger with each passing moment. Soon it would overpower his will, and he would gulp for air only to find nothing but water. Could he drown? Was drowning a permanent death for him, or could he sacrifice a heart and continue on? He didn't know and he had no desire to find out, especially not in this situation.

Pausing in his movement toward the surface, he began to sink downward, but he also began forming hand seals facing away from the surface. He wasn't even sure this would work, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Gathering his own chakra, he began molding it, preparing to overcharge his chakra and force the Suiton: Teppoudama from C-rank to A-rank.

The chakra reached its peak and with a sharp, but breathless, exhale a massive projectile of water came into being. He wasn't disappointed as the force of it sent him hurtling backwards rapidly, but it wouldn't be enough. Molding the chakra once more, he unleashed another, which not only allowed him to reach the surface but launched him into the air in a spray of water.

Greedily gasping for oxygen, Kakuzu forgot about the combat situation for a moment. Breathing simply felt too good, too wonderful, for the man to care very much about his opponent. Still, as he felt his body begin to descend, he twisted around so that his feet hit the surface and chakra kept him from sinking into the sea's cold embrace once more.

Panting, the former Taki ninja began scanning the immediate area for his target, but found no trace of the boy. He hesitated, trying to sense if the Jinchūriki merely laid in wait, or if it had managed to escape. Waiting another moment, the Akatsuki agent sighed as he realized the Jinchūriki had managed to give him the slip.

It did raise a question as to why the Jinchūriki had fled instead of continuing with the battle. The demon had possessed the upperhand, with superior firepower and control of the terrain. Kakuzu had skill and experience, coupled with a broader range of techniques, but still the Jinchūriki had been in control of the battle. So why flee instead of seek the kill?

For that matter, why had it fled Kiri and been trying to slip into Nami no Kuni without drawing attention? As the host for the Sanbi, Suijin could have easily transversed the sea between the two much quicker than using a boat. Why Nami no Kuni? Maybe the Jinchūriki had simply picked the most unlikely place it could imagine to hide out in, at least until the hunt for it died down?

Shaking his head and grumbling irritably, Kakuzu deciding that he should just retrieve his cloak and hunt a few bounties while he tried to figure out the answers. After several moments of looking for the undoubtedly water-slogged garment, he realized that the Jinchūriki had stolen it.

"I hate kids," Kakuzu muttered, making his way back to Mizu no Kuni.

* * *

If there was one thing Kiba enjoyed more than scoring with a pretty kunoichi, it was fighting. The thrill of battle, of facing off against an enemy who wants to take your head, it was primal pleasure. Much like scoring with a pretty kunoichi actually. Both had a rhythm to them, an resonance that he instinctually sought, a high he craved, no matter how things changed.

With his size and stocky build, he was limited in his agility, and those that used speed were his worst enemies. However, he did have some speed and he had power to deliver truly punishing blows. It made him a devastating enemy in his own right. With Akamaru as his fighting partner, few could out fight them, but those that did usually did so by out-thinking him.

The four Oto nin that attacked obviously had no sense of battle. Probably green. They rushed him head on, which had resulted in a pair of Tsuuga from Kiba before they realized the sheer **stupidity** of trying to fight him crowded together. The group had split up, attempting to flank him when Akamaru got in on the act. Before long the two of them had pulled off the Juujin Bunshin, and started tossing Gatsuuga around like candy on a holiday.

Coming out of his latest spin, Kiba skidded around in a crouch, claws gouging the earth to stop his momentum. Akamaru came to a skidding stop just across from him, both grinning wildly at the lone remaining Oto ninja. The man appeared average in size. Indeed, he looked exactly like the previous four Oto ninja he and Akamaru had just destroyed.

Except for those eerie blue, almost white, eyes.

A shiver ran up Kiba's spine, just staring at those eyes. They seemed to be dead, lifeless, save a flash foreboding intelligence that set his teeth grinding. At Akamaru's bark, alerting him that Naruto had already engaged the man's partner, Kiba growled low. No way would he lose to that Hokage-wannabe. He had money riding on this.

"Come on, Akamaru. We gotta bet this guy and we'll be fifty ryou richer!" Kiba shouted, sending chunks of earth into the air as he lunged forward with the Shikyaku no Jutsu. He snarled with a ferocity for which his family was famous. Muscles bunched, he sprang up at the last minute, claws aimed for the man's neck, but a vice-like grip closed around his throat and was followed by a vicious punch to his face.

Twisting from the blow, carried by the sheer force of it, Kiba flew through the air and landed with a muffled yelp. Akamaru had been directly behind him and the massive dog had reverted to its own form as it lunged. The result was the same, and Kiba winced at the almost sickening crunch of bone as his companion landed next to him.

Growling, Kiba shot forward once more, claw-like fingers seeking the man's flesh. The Oto nin batted his hands away easily and countered with a front kick to his stomach, followed by a round kick that sent him sailing. Akamaru, who was in mid-lunge, received a spinning side kick that sent him crashing to the ground hard.

Kiba pushed his way back into a crouch and wiping at his mouth to clear it of blood, growling and launching himself into a series of Tsuuga's. The man dodged each one, only just enough to avoid taking a blow, but never countered. Kiba grew more agitated by the second, throwing himself more and more into his spinning attacks, wondering what the hell was up with his guy.

Rebounding from a Tsuuga, he launched into another one before receiving a punch to his head in mid-spin. Normally if someone attempted such a move, they would break their hand or have it ripped off from the sheer speed of rotation. Instead, Kiba dropped like a stone from the blow, ears ringing, whimpering like a whipped beast.

Akamaru attempted a Tsuuga and saved him for a moment, but the massive dog missed his mark and ended lying in a heap. Pushing his way to a crouch, Kiba glanced at his hurt dog. His stomach churned as his eyes spotted the broken leg. Akamaru was already moving, with a noticeable limp, to try and attack again. Kiba shouted for him to stay put.

Turning back to the impassive man, Kiba narrowed his eyes. Agitation turned to anger, anger turned to hate and hate turned to power, and Kiba hurled himself into the battle. He closed the gap with unbelievable speed, moving for a standard taijutsu move and then threw himself into a point-blank Tsuuga, catching the man flat-footed.

The Oto ninja went down from the blow, recovered nimbly, and then received three more in rapid succession before managing to doge a fifth. Coming out of the failed Tsuuga, Kiba spat, tossing the mask he had managed to rip off to the aside. Then he froze, seeing the face of his enemy for the first time, sending an uneasy chill up his spine and caused an uneasy sensation in his stomach.

The things face, its whole head, was a grey-tinted flesh lined with dark veins, and no hair to speak of. The prominent cheekbones jutted sharp and severe, and those blue-white eyes stood out in stark contrast to the dark-purple bruises that surrounded them. There was an inhuman, nightmarish quality to it that unnerved Kiba more than he would care to admit.

"You're an ugly fucker, ain't ya," Kiba said, hacking and spitting once more, wondering what messed up thing he could no longer call it human he was fighting.

In response, the thing hissed and charged.

"Okay," Kiba said, a shiver of revulsion coursing through him. "Note to self, never call it an ugly fucker again."

* * *

Naruto had been in quite a few fights over the years, many against powerful opponents and a few against supernatural creatures. He knew the feel of each, thanks in part to the Kyūbi's demonic instincts.

Yet the _thing_ he was currently fighting did not have an aura, nothing detectable at least, and that unnerved him far more than anything else ever had. Whatever this Oto-nin really was, it was neither human nor supernatural; hence, he hesitated to use any jutsu against it.

Until he knew, at least with some certainty, what it was, Naruto didn't want to risk anything. He stuck with Taijutsu. Spinning Naruto planted a sidekick to the creatures stomach, then immediately launched into a butterfly kick.

The creature moved back at that, just enough to avoid the blow, but left itself open. Landing adeptly on the ball of his foot, Naruto shot forward, kunai appearing in hand from his forearm holster. The creature stumbled back from surprise.

Naruto made it inside the creatures guard without preamble and lunged, sinking the kunai into the chest up to the handle. There was a horrible, almost unnoticeable, grating sound of bone against metal, and then Naruto jumped back, twisting the kunai as the creature fell away. As he flipped back into a crouch, a much more noticeable noise filled the air the sound of twisting metal.

Naruto watched with wide eyes as the thing regained its feet without a sign of blood loss. Looking at the weapon he held, his sense of disquieted unease increased triplfold. All that he held, all that remained of his tempered _steel_ kunai, was a handle that had been snapped away from the blade.

Looking back up at the creature, Narutos eyes narrowed . Okay, weapons weren't cutting it. Time for a few ninjutsu. Creating a Kage Bunshin, he sent it wide and to the left of the creature. Once the clone had skidded to a stop, they both flashed through a series of hand seals. A moment later the Goukakyuu from the Kage Bunshin combined with Naruto's 'Fūton: Suukou Kazekyuu'.

The powerful combination ignited, reducing the target area to a swirling mass of ravenous wild fires.

Grinning, Naruto relaxed and scratched the back of his head, chuckling. That was the first time trying it. He'd only thought about it once, shortly after seeing how Itachi's fire attack had increased in strength when it encountered his wind defense. Now, all it needed was a name. He feigned deep thought, eyes scrunched tight and hand rubbing his chin.

"I guess 'Mari no Kaze sorede Katon' will do."

As if on cue, a humanoid shape exploded out of the flames, charging him.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as he registered the creature. Flames danced along its burning clothes and eerily glowing skin. Those blue-white eyes hinted at no pain or distress, not even an awareness of the consuming flames. Worse yet, he finally got a look at the things face and almost wretched.

It was on top of him in a heartbeat, an iron grip around his throat. Naruto reacted by grabbing the hands, but then his world shifted as the creature literally yanked him up and around, throwing him aside. Naruto hit the ground hard, arms flinging out while lifting his head so that the impact was disapaited allowing that things attempt at breaking his neck to fail.

Rolling to a stop, his entire spinal column throbbing, Naruto found the thing airborne and falling toward him. Bringing his knees up and rolling onto his shoulders, Naruto kicked up, catching the thing in the chest. He heaved, throwing it away from him while he rolled back to his feet. He managed to duck the lunging creature as it rebounded for attack, and then pivoted around so that he came up behind it.

It took almost no effort to channel the chakra to his hand and drive a spiraling Rasengan into the things lower back. There was a loud snapping noise as the thing spun forward from the impact amid a spray of innards as they exploded from its stomach. Coming to a stop, the creature twitched and then lay still, much to Naruto's relief.

Honestly, if that damn thing got back up from a direct Rasengan hit, he might just be tempted to leave it be. Thankfully it had

"Oh, you are shitting me," Naruto murmured in appalled awe, eyes widening as the creature attempted to to heave itself upright, the legs lying limply behind it as the upper torso lifted at an inhuman angle.

"Naruto!" Kiba shouted.

Whipping around, Naruto found the other creature charging, a spilt-second from impact.

"Gah!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping over the creature with a flip, planting his feet in its back as a spring board to clear the area. Landing, he spun back around to face his foe, mind racing. Luckily, the creature continued onward, scooping up its wounded comrade and moving away at a speed almost untraceable.

After a moment of stunned silence, Naruto heaved a sigh and sat down heavily.

"Damn! What were those things?" Kiba gasped, out of breath and looking worse for wear. "I hit that freak of nature with everything I had and it just kept coming."

"Well, they're not invulnerable," Naruto said, frowning, "but they're pretty damn tough. I broke a kunai stabbing mine in the chest, and then it brushed off a potentially A-rank ninjutsu. It even kept tying to fight back after I blew its guts out with a Rasengan."

"It survived a Rasengan?" Kiba asked, tone hollow.

"Yeah," Naruto admitted, scowling. "I think if I had aimed for the head or upper back the thing would have died. But still, to survive that jutsu..."

"I didn't know anything could do that," Kiba muttered, shaking his head.

"Well, I remember doing it once. Hurt like hell. Took me a month before I felt okay, and it wasn't powerful enough to blow my guts and spine out," Naruto continued, shaking his head. "It was almost like they don't feel pain, or were built to keep functioning after insane amounts of damage."

"Yeah, not something that I'm fond of Oto having," Kiba agreed, shaking his head. "I'm going to go check on Akamaru."

"Right, leave this to me," Naruto said, climbing to his feet. Fishing through his pouch, he produced a few scrolls, a special ink set, and a small handbook he had borrowed from Anko. Kiba cast him a dubious look before moving to treat Akamaru, and Naruto moved to contain the raging flames. That ninjutsu he had created had been impressive, but cleaning up the mess would be a pain. Shaking his head, he expertly created and applied both the Fuuui Houin and Fuuka Houin.

It took a fair bit of chakra to seal that much fire, but he managed to seal both elements away into a single scroll. Grinning, he pocketed the scroll, saving it for the day he needed a surprise attack that required lots of fire. He liked fire.

Next, he created eight Kage Bunshin and sent them to check the faces of each Oto nin. That done, they searched the bodies and divested them of their ryou and weapons. Once the clones dispersed, they left him with the knowledge of what the nins looked like. Opening his borrowed book, he began scanning the listing's inside, matching picture to dead Oto ninja, counting up the bounty they could collect for the missing ninja.

Not much, apparently, but enough to justify carrying them all back to Konoha. Another series of Kage Bunshin and eight Un'yu Fuuin Houin's later, Naruto groaned before sealing the weapons away into their own scroll. The ryou he, of course, pocketed. Getting up, he went over to check up on Akamaru and Kiba.

The massive dog was whimpering as Kiba finished setting the leg. Not a proper setting, but it would have to do. Reaching out, Naruto scratched the dog's nose and then crouched down next to Kiba. "So?"

"His ribs were cracked. I've bandaged those as best I could. The leg was broken, and it wasn't a clean break. There could be permanent damage if he isnt treated soon by someone with more medic skill," Kiba replied, voice taut with tension, patting his canine friend on the nose gently as he whined. "I don't have anything for the pain, and it'll be a few hours till we get back to Konoha."

"Well, I can help on the pain front," Naruto said, producing his special ink and a sheet of paper. "This is a special sealing that Ero-sennin taught me in Yuki no Kuni. It can block pain and put you under, sorta like going into a deep sleep. He could use it to even help the body heal, but I'm not sure how he managed that, so I'll just block the pain."

"R-really?" Kiba asked quietly, the thread of a break in his voice, eyes filled with relief.

"One minute," Naruto said, bending his concentration completely on the seal, tongue sticking out between his teeth. Finished, he sighed before applying it to the nape of the dogs neck. A moment later, Akamaru heaved a sigh of relief and barked in what Naruto assumed was appreciation. "Glad you enjoy it. I'm not sure I could knock you out, but the pain is no biggie."

"Man, that's great!" Kiba exclaimed with his former gusto, springing up. " Now we just gotta carry him back."

"We'll let my Kage Bunshin do that," Naruto said, scratching his head. "I'd summon a toad to carry us all back, but I'm not sure I want to waste the chakra cause we only have, what, four hours of travelling? Besides, I wanna make sure there aren't any more of those damn things running around out here."

"Yeah," Kiba said, stroking Akamaru's fur. "Why do you think they just ran off like that anyway?"

"Not sure," Naruto said with a shrug, "but after we turn in our mission report, we're going to make sure the Hokage knows about them."

* * *

Hanabi drifted left, carried by an unseen current, and then bolted forward unexpectedly, a palm flying toward Hanabi's face.

Hanabi slipped beneath the blow from her Kage Bunshin, sending a spear-hand toward the Kage Bunshin's ribs. The Kage Bunshin arched her back, which pulled her upper torso away from the blow. Recovering, it attacked Hanabi once more, a rapid flurry of punches that Hanabi turned away or dodged with cartwheels.

Her jaw clenched and unclenched rapidly, trying to adjust to using the Hakken no Jutsu for combat. However, as with her fight against those three Genin, the problem lay with how frustrating splitting her concentration was. With her Byakugan, she had been able to read everything instantly and without having to attend to the technique. However, with the Hakken, she not only had to read shifts in weight, keep track of the enemies eyes, and the way muscles bunched, but also make sure to keep the technique active.

Even for a Hyūga, who had spent years practicing the art of reading people, it was a bit much to ask.

Reading the slight shift of weight in the hips, the miniscule cocking of the shoulders, the tiny lifting of the heel of the back foot, Hanabi deflected a sharp jab almost before it even started. Knocking the blow aside easily, Hanabi twisted her body aside before her elbow connected with the Kage Bunshin's ribs and with a small cock of her own hips, Hanabi delivered a devastating back fist to her opponents face.

As it rocked back on its heels, Hanabi took the opening immediately, dropping to a low leg sweep that sent the clone crashing gracelessly to the ground.

Standing once more, Hanabi smirked with a small amount of satisfaction before dispelling the Kage Bunshin. The drain from creating it and keeping it active took a toll on her stamina, and Hanabi was still trying to adjust. Despite her unnatural level of chakra control, creating a single Kage Bunshin took a lot out of her. However, there were times when it was her only option for training.

When she and Konohamaru had found Ino that morning, Ino had assigned Hanabi Taijutsu practice with a post. Konohamaru had gamely hung around to watch, but after three hours Ino had told her to knock it off for the day and left. Remembering, Hanabi felt a flare of annoyance. Ino was _supposed_ to help her train, not watch her hit a wooden log and then walk off without at least offering some helpful suggestions.

Remembering that she could still spar with Konohamaru, Hanabi had cheered, only to feel crushing disappointment as he informed her that he had to leave for a date. The news rocked Hanabi, her mouth gaping, and she stared at the boy who had been her first kiss as if he had grown an extra head. In Konohamaru's defense, he had stammered an explanation about family obligations, about how he didn't think they were really right for each other anyway, and it wasn't like they were married.

After a few more awkward, hollow words, he had left her standing there.

Alone.

Eventually, Hanabi had created the Kage Bunshin and set about sparring it, hoping to work her frustration out. She had only ended up increasing her annoyance at her lack of progress with using the Hakken no Jutsu. Shoulders slumping in defeat, Hanabi sighed heavily, wishing that Naruto was back already.

While Ino might not worry about her training, while Konohamaru might reject her, at least Naruto cared. Hanabi could talk with him and he would help her figure things out, like the sadistic older brother that he truly was. Only, there was no telling when he would be back. If he was on an important mission, he would be tired upon returning anyway. Then it would be at least a day before he had the energy to talk with her.

Shaking her head, Hanabi wondered about what to do with the rest of her spare time. There was always buying comfort food and eating it alone in the privacy of her room. Or she could wander the streets until she bumped into Hinata, the older girl being the only Hyūga who would willingly speak with her. On the other hand, that would inevitable devolve into a rather emotional meeting, as all interactions with Hinata seemed want to do.

Absently wandering into the surrounding forest, Hanabi wondered briefly about Neji. Why would he just disappear, if that were the case. He had a wife and child after all. Hanabi was not blind or stupid. She, like Ino and Naruto, knew that there was a very real possibility he was removed by Unity. In a small, secret way, she felt glad that they had done such a thing, but mostly she was angry.

Musing silently on her rather complicated relationship with her former family, Hanabi nearly walked into a wall of green spandex. She managed to stop herself at the last moment, saving her the embarrassment of trying to apologize. Looking up, she scowled slightly, recognizing the older ninja as the Sensei of the three she had fought last night.

"Aha, it is Hanabi-san!" the man said, beaming as he acknowledged her presence. "What brings such a bright flame to us?"

"I'm sorry," Hanabi said, trying to remember the man's name, sure that Ino had used it last night. "I was thinking and got distracted. I did not mean to disrupt your-"

"Hey, its Hanabi-chan!" Anji, or at least she assumed that was what the boy without fashion sense was called. The names of the three Genin were a bit jumbled in her memory. "Lee-sensei, did you invite her to spar us again?"

"Baka, maybe she just came to watch," the girl with the distinctive red eyes and feathered dark hair of the Yūhi Clan said with a snort. Then, focusing on Hanabi, the girl nodded. "How are you?"

"Fine," Hanabi returned, with her own slight nod.

"Shouldn't you be training?" Teru said, walking forward slightly, giving her an appraising look.

"I was," Hanabi said stiffly, shooting him a look that made the boy blink. "There is only so much I can do sparring a Kage Bunshin. Not all of us have our sensei at our beck and call twenty-four seven."

"Meow," Anji muttered, earning a slap upside the head from Kojiro.

"Anji, Kojiro, Teru, it is about time for lunch," Lee said, smiling at them while putting a hand on her shoulder. A rather firm hand. "Why don't you go on ahead while I talk with Hanabi? After all, she's the student of an old friend."

Hanabi blinked, then glanced at the older man before looking at the three other Genin, who nodded and, under Kojiro's urgings, left the clearing. Once they were gone, she turned her attention back to the green man, who had walked to a post before turning to address her. It was upon getting a truly good look at him that Hanabi flinched back, wondering whether those _things_ on his face were cannibalistic caterpillars.

"Yosh, is there something wrong?"

"N-no," Hanabi said, shaking her head quickly, preparing to attack if one of those furry appendages so much as twitched.

"I see," Lee said, crossing his arm and nodding slightly to something she couldn't hear. "I understand that as a bright and loyal flame of youth, you feel slighted that your sensei has been forced away from you. However, Ino-san has agreed to train you. It is not as if you are not being-"

"All she has me do is hit a post!" Hanabi snapped, glaring at him. "I hit it for three hours, and then she tells me to stop for the day and leaves. That is not training! That is conditioning my hands. If I wanted to do that, I could so on my own."

"She never explained why she had you hitting the post?" Lee asked skeptically, eyes widening, and Hanabi almost laughed at his expression, except she was still on guard about the caterpillar eyebrows.

"No."

"Yosh, then it falls to me to help a guttering flame of youth!" Lee said, striking a pose that Hanabi found extremely disturbing, as his spandex was now pulled tight in several unflattering places. "Hanabi, I want you to close your eyes, keep them closed, and listen to what you are about to hear."

"Ooookay," Hanabi said. Seeing his serious gaze, which reminded her vaguely of Naruto when he taught her a jutsu, she did as asked. A moment later she heard the sound of someone hitting a post before it stopped.

"What did you hear?"

"Just you hitting the post," Hanabi admitted with a flare of annoyance.

"Listen closer," Lee said, followed by the sound of his fists hitting the wood once more.

Hanabi strained, trying to listen closer. She could tell that some where punches and others open-hand techniques.

"How about now?"

"I can tell a punch from a palm strike." Hanabi admitted with a shrug. "I suppose that could be handy to know."

"Yes, each technique has its own distinctive sound as it connects," Lee said, his tone growing smug. "Yet, you are not hearing what you need to hear. Hanabi, this time, I want you to listen and _feel_ the sounds."

"Feel the sounds?" Hanabi echoed uncertainly, but instead of an answer she received a flurry of strikes to the post. They were sustained this time and she focused on them, biting her bottom lip. Her eyebrows drew tight with concentration, but it was all just a jumble of noises punch, palm heel, spear hand, two more rapid punches, then three palm heels from alternating sides, then a few more punches in even more rapid succession and then three steady palm heels.

Hanabi was reminded of music, or dancing. There seemed to be a rhythm, a pace and peek.

Fast, slow, steady, then suddenly rapid, repeating over and over and...

"What did you hear this time?" Lee asked, startling Hanabi out of her thoughts.

Opening her eyes, she stared at him strangely, uncertain if she had figured out the proper answer.

"Well?"

"It sounds," Hanabi said, then paused before continuing. "It sounded as if there was a rhythm to your blows. Like music or dancing."

"There is. All combat has a rhythm," Lee explained, smiling brightly at her. "Everybody has an internal 'rhythm' to their style. Some, like your sensei, have figured out a way to create such a random pattern that it can't be predicted by normal means. However, it is still there, and the reason we strike these training posts is not only to condition our hands, but also to become aware of our own rhythm."

"I see," Hanabi said, before scowling slightly. "But why didn't Yamanaka-san tell me this? Why only have me strike the post and never explain a thing?"

"Most likely because she knew no better," Lee said with a shrug. "Ino-san, while _very_ skilled, has never helped others train in such a manner."

"But why have me do it at all?" Hanabi insisted, crossing her arms. "What's the point?"

"Ah, a very wise question, as expected from such a bright flame of youth!" Lee beamed, holding a finger up. "A skilled enemy will use 'Ma' against you, which is a method of disrupting your rhythm. Everyone that fights is aware of 'Ma' on some level, though some may not realize the secret to it. Those that do grasp this truth will train so that they know they're own rhythm, and thus are capable of altering it as needed. Some who are truly skilled may even use their rhythm and 'Ma' to lure their enemy in for a decisive blow."

"Well, why didn't Naruto-sensei teach me this?" Hanabi asked in mounting frustration.

"Well, as Genin I once asked Gai-sensei about Naruto and learned that all he practiced was pure combat. He learned it instinctively through his combat experiences with his own sensei and in the field," Lee explained. "Hence, he didn't know about it on a conscious level. Ino-san, however, did not know this and, considering your level, most likely expected you to realize the problem because it is obvious to her."

"So she _was_ trying to train me?" Hanabi asked, startled and suddenly feeling very foolish. Of course Ino would try and help her. After all, Naruto had asked the girl and Hanabi was not blind.

"Yes," Lee said, then shot a smile at her that literally seemed to split the air molecules with its force. "However, training for now is finished! For as bright flames we must eat to rebuild our energy. Now, come with me. You shall eat lunch and spend the rest of the day practicing your rhythm!"

"Uh-"

"Yosh, you cannot despair now! For with me to guide you, the greatness of your flames will surely grow. Just as mine did under Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted, hands now thrust high over head.

"You're a very strange, very green man," Hanabi said under her breath, then shook her head.

Yosh?

Still, youre probably saner than nii-san."

* * *

Kakashi had to keep his sigh of annoyance in check, wondering why Koinu had, through Hizashi, insisted on this impromptu meeting. Across from him sat the current Jōnin Shirei, Hyūga Hizashi, who looked much older than the last time he had seen the man. Of course, such was to be expected with the disappearance of Neji. Even if he had been adopted by Hiashi, Hizashi had been_was_ his father.

Nothing was sure yet.

Not knowing the whereabouts of your only child had to be a nerve-racking ordeal. An anxiety shivered just behind the man's eyes, like a trapped moth. A twitch in a finger, spasmodic, unintended. Kakashi grimly acknowledged the sheer willpower it would take to keep doing your duty and not expend all your efforts on finding your son.

"Has Tenzou-san had any luck in locating Neji-sama?" Hizashi suddenly asked, as if finally giving into his silent urge.

"Not yet," Kakashi said, knowing that they would never locate the boy. Neji was dead and gone, with Tenzou most likely hiding evidence at the behest of the Unity leaders. Still, he couldn't bring himself to shatter the man's hopes, not now especially. "How are Neji's wife and son holding up?"

"Hiatari-sama is maintaining like a true Hyūga," Hizashi said, but the disgust in his tone was evident. "Of course, Yuubae-sama is a child and thus has no understanding. He is being well guarded and cared for after being named Hiashi-sama's heir."

"Ah," Kakashi said, then both fell silent for several moments until the door opened and the large, wild man known as Inuzuka Koinu entered. Koinus hair actually seemed more bristly than normal, his canines more pronounced. Something was amiss. Kakashi nodded in greeting "Koinu-san."

"Hokage-sama," the man returned roughly, before settling into a nervous pace near the left wall.

"I understand that you have something to tell me?" Kakashi said after a moment, sharing a look with a mildly alarmed Hizashi.

"Yeah, yeah I do," Koinu said, turning to stare at him. "Five four-man teams, two made up of Jōnin and three of Chūnin, are two days late in coming back."

"Missions do sometimes take more time than estimated," Kakashi offered, knowing that there was more to this than a few teams just not reporting back.

"They were assigned low level C-rank missions," Koinu snapped, his hair seeming to bristle even more. "They were all within Tani no Kuni and Takumi no Kuni."

"That is...worrying," Hizashi offered with a scowl. "Perhaps we should send ANBU out to investigate?"

"Why bother?" Koinu barked, throwing his hands up. "If something did happen, then a team of **four** Jōnin or Chūnin should have been able to handle it. For them to be this overdue without a sign or word, I wouldn't trust ANBU to return!"

"ANBU are much better trained than your standard ninja," Kakashi said, leaning back in his seat and contemplating the situation. Five teams, made up of four experienced ninja, disappearing while on simple missions? There had to be more to the picture, a threat they had yet to identify. Unity couldn't move that decisively. They werent ready. Scowling in thought, he blinked offering a likely theory. "Otogakure. This could be their handy work."

"How would they manage that?" Koinu asked, rounding on him. "They only have one of those curse seal guys left and they're Jōnin are mostly missing ninja of Chūnin."

"The first mistake many people make is that they assume they know everything about an enemy," Kakashi said before lacing his fingers together. "Their leader is Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin and the creator of that 'Keiji' among other things. I fully expect that his experiments have not stopped merely because we have previous ones locked up in Haiotsohi."

"True," Hizashi said sourly. "Orochimaru has always had great ambitions. Even with limited resources, it is possibly he has created moreweapons."

"What the hell is 'Keiji'?" Koinu finally interjected in exasperation.

"Within Haiotsohi, there are two levels," Kakashi explained blandly. "The upper level and the lower level, known as Ikikigoku. The lower level is the home of A-rank, or worse, criminals and creatures of unfathomable destructive powers. Then below that, there is a cell, a **single** cell called Kubochi no Jigkou."

"Kubochi no Jigkou?" Koinu echoed hollowly.

"Kubochi no Jigkou," Kakashi confirmed before continuing. "There is only one being in that cell, under a constant sleeping and suppression seal so powerful that not even myself, the Yondaime and Jiriaya together could break it. That being is 'Keiji', Orochimaru's ultimate creation. When it awakens, nothing can control it, let alone stop it."

"For a man that created 'Keiji', among other things, creating more would not be unexpected," Hizashi warily concluded, "though I would like to know what he has devised with so few materials and men."

"With any luck, we'll find out soon," Kakashi said, his eye closing. "If our teams are being attacked, then we have at least one team that will return after such an encounter."

"Huh? Which one is that?" Koinu asked, startled.

"The team we sent out to exchange scrolls with Kumo," Hizashi said, a tight smile on his face. "Uzumaki Naruto and Inuzuka Kiba. Yes, that team should return soon enough."

"Kiba-kun, huh?" Koinu said with a weary sigh. "He's driving his mom crazy. He won't settle down, always chasing after a different bitch and always hanging out with Akamaru."

"But that'll come in handy. They spend so much time together they must work excellently together," Kakashi countered, opening his eye to study the man who reached up scratch the back of his head.

"Well, yeah, but Inuzuka's a pack. He needs to learn how to work with the others, but that's just youth and we all went through it," Koinu admitted, before shaking his head. "Either way, we'll have to stop assigning missions to Tani and Takumi until we hear from Kiba's team."

"Understood," Kakashi said, then hesitated, realizing the danger of doing such a thing. "Do it discreetly, though. There are certain groups, both internally and externally, I would rather not have know about us hesitating to assign missions."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," both men said, though Koinu had an openly curious look on his face.

Once the two were gone, Kakashi relaxed, slumping in his chair. This did not bode well. If Orochimaru had created something that could wipe out teams like that, he needed to keep it quiet. Letting it be known would hurt confidence in Konoha, both among the military forces and among the Hi no Kuni Government.

It would drive more of the governors into using Hi no Kuni ninja and it would give Unity even more ammunition. Not counting the fact that showing a hesitance to assign missions would be a hint of weakness that other countries would try and act on. Kakashi did not want to go through another Shinobi War; He'd had his fill in the last one.

Turning his chair, he stared out the large windows behind him, deciding there was nothing to do now save wait for Naruto to return. Producing one of his new Icha Icha books, Kakashi flipped it open with an effortless flick of his wrist and started reading, leaving contemplation on the future to others for the moment.

* * *

Ino spun neatly on the ball of her foot, lunging forward with her sword. Shifting back, she adopted a defensive posture, Yuzuha held horizontaly before her, then moved gracefully through the rest of her form, streams of sweat running down the sides of her face. The sword was more perfect than she had first thought, slicing through the air without the hint of sound.

Foot slipping forward, Ino released the hilt with her bottom hand and made an elegant sweep through the air. At the peak of the sweep, Ino spun the blade around while adopting a one legged stance, free hand crossing her body and the sword now in a reverse grip while coming to rest along the back of her arm, the tip just past her shoulder blade.

Breathing out sharply, Ino dropped her foot into a deep stance, the sword swinging out and around in a gleaming arc that would have sliced her opponent in half. Reaching the peak of that arc, the blade curved back removing an imaginary head while Ino swept her back foot around quickly. A quick twirl to clear the blade of imaginary blood and Ino settled into a stance with most of her weight on the rear foot, elbows close to her body and the tip of her blade aimed between her imaginary opponents eyes.

Breathing heavier than she would in the past, Ino grinned, pleased with her exercise. Her shoulders and arms were burning slightly from the workout, which was to be expected. Yuzuha was a heavier sword than Tsukiha, but the weight was perfectly balanced for her, still the biggest differences were the blades of the two swords.

Tsukiha had been a kodachi, a half length single edge blade, while Yuzuha was a full length double edged blade. Where Tsukiha had been curved, Yuzuha was straight. Outside of those physical differences, Ino had yet to see a need to alter how she dealt with the weapons.

Blinking away the sweat in her eyes, Ino decided to perform one last move and call it a night. Twirling her sword around, Ino pivoted in place and hurled it away, then with a back flip targeted a rather battered looking training post and flashed through a one handed seal before engulfing it in flames. Coming out of the flip to land in a crouch, Ino's hand came up just in time to catch the hilt of her sword as it returned to her.

"Hell yeah," Ino said with a grin, pride rushing through her. Twirling her sword up and around, she sheathed it neatly into the carrying strap on her back and stretched her protesting muscles. She had finally managed to get those single-hand seals down. Plus, her sword had flawlessly returned to her after each throw.

Nodding to herself, Ino swept her sweat matted hair from her face. Ick. There would be no question about needing a bath tonight. Pulling the sweat-soaked shirt away from her body, Ino shivered at the feel of cool air against her flesh, then left the training area and reentered the nighttime streets of Konoha.

Ino found it odd that she enjoyed this time of the day. Shops were closing up and people were slowly trickling home, leaving the night to the ANBU patrols that continuously roamed the streets, something the Godaime had done immediately after assuming complete power. There would be no more surprises in the night as with the Uchiha. ANBU patrolled every neighborhood, including the Hyūga area.

Thinking of the Hyūga, Ino's mind turned briefly to Hanabi and wondered what the girl had been up to for the day. Not that it mattered all that much. Until Naruto got back, the girl's options were rather limited. This brought Ino around to Naruto and how to subtly let him know that she was interested in more than the playful flirting they had been doing. Tomorrow she'd have to think hard about the subject, now that she could take a break from her rigorous training. Tonight, she wanted a bath and sleep. Maybe a nice dream about a certain blue-eyed guy.

Slowing to a stop, Ino frowned slightly, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She was on the middle of a bridge, unsure how she had got there, but aware of a feeling that someone was following her. The first thing that came to mind was a Unity agent, but that didn't feel right. Still, she felt the presence behind her and turned sharply, but found the street and bridge behind her empty.

"Strange," Ino mumbled to herself, turning back to continue on her way, only to find herself face-to-face with a lunging Naruto. "Gah!" Ino screamed, stumbling back and nearly falling on her rear.

"Gotcha, Ino-chan!" Naruto gloated, eyes closed tight from the strength of his laughter.

Recovering from her fright, Ino narrowed her eyes as she drew her sword, poking in the general direction of his chest. "What the fuck do you think youre doing!?"

"Uh, playing around?" Naruto said with convincing timidity, seeming torn between laughing and eying her blade warily.

"Playing around?" Ino asked, sword slashing left as her arms went wide. "You keep 'playing around' like that and I'm going to end up skewing you with this sword!"

"I'm sorry," Naruto said sincerely, though his amusement was still evident.

"Yeah, well, you better be!" Ino snorted, forcing him to lean back to avoid the blade as she brought her arm, and hence sword, back to point at his face. And why exactly did it take you so long to get back?"

"Uh, we ran into a little problem with something," Naruto said, going cross-eyed to stare at the blade centimeters from his nose. "We just got back an hour ago and I had to tell Masked Perv about what happened."

"Oh," Ino said, reading underneath what he was saying and sheathed her sword. "So, how'd the mission go?"

"The mission? It went fine," Naruto said, his eyes drifting away slightly, telling her he was hiding something and then he focused on her once more. "We spent the night in this little village and then started back this morning. We got a bit sidetracked, but I'm sure you'll hear about it tomorrow."

"Aha," Ino said with a nod, worried and wondering what had happened. She wasn't given any more time to consider it because Naruto had suddenly slung an arm around her and thrust a hand in the air.

"Sake time!"

"Naruto-kun, that last thing I want to do is drink." Ino said wearily, wondering what he was up to now.

"Aww, but we gotta go get a drink! We never drink together!" Naruto said, almost whined actually.

"Probably because we'd either kill each other or sleep together," Ino said, ducking out from under his arm, very conscious of her stentch and his body.

"Well, either one would be fun," Naruto said with a grin and wink, "but I don't think we'd get much sleep if you ask me."

"Mhmm, your confidence is, shall we say, inspiring," Ino drawled, rolling her eyes. "But, no, lets not and say we did."

"Spoil sport," Naruto huffed. "Fine, then how about you come over and we eat whats left of that Tomato Pudding I made for ya last week?"

"I suppose we could do that," Ino said, temporizing, or at least until he grabbed her shoulders and started frog marching her back the way she came. "Plus, we can have some sake I keep around! Now, promise not to take advantage of me when I get drunk, okay, Ino-chan?"

"Fine, fine," Ino relented, shoulders sagging in semi-defeat. Naturally, he _would_ want to hang out when she was covered in sweat and smelling foul. Yeah, that was a real turn on. Score zero for Yamanaka.

Even Naruto couldn't find that attractive.

* * *

AN:

::Location Names::

Ikikigoku = Hell on Earth

Kubochi no Jigkou = Pit of Hell

::Technique's::

**Name:** _Gouton: Tooboe Gouka, literally (Combined Release: Howling Hell fire)_

**Rank:** S; Hidden

**Range:** Close (0m ~ 5m), Mid (5m ~ 10m), Far (10m+)

**Type:** Attack

By utilizing the elemental affinities from two of his hearts, personified as a Tiger and Eagle mask, Kakuzu creates this attack. By combining both Fūton: Atsugai and Katon: Zukokku, he creates a extremely powerful ninjutsu. Because the attack also includes Wind, a mere Water attack will not be able to stop the whole blast.

Uzumaki Naruto has created a similar attack, though he refers to his as Mari no Kaze Sorede Katon [See below]

**Name:** _Mari no Kaze sorede Katon [Ball of Wind and Fire]_

**Rank:** A

**Range:** Close (0m ~ 5m), Mid (5m ~ 10m), Far (10m+)

**Type:** Attack

This justu starts with a Kage Bunshin, who in turn will create the basic Katon Fire Ball. Naruto will then create his version of the Fūton: Suukou Kazekyuu which combines to form an even more devastating attack. Because the attack also includes Wind, a mere Water attack will not be able to stop the whole blast.

------------------

Concerning 'Gouton'

As with Raiton, Katon, Fūton, Suiton, Kuiton (Grass Release), this one is a contraction. 'Gou' is short for 'Gousei', which means: synthesis; composition; synthetic; composite; mixed; combined; compound'. The reason I chose this for the Kakuzu attack is because he's combining both a Fūton and Katon into one unique attack; hence it is a Combination Release.

So there ya go, figured I'd explain in case you were curious.


	18. Chapter 16: Jericho

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 16:  
-_Jericho_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

Moving swiftly through the forest, Hanabi considered the possibility that Naruto wouldn't be there. He should have been back yesterday, though that was merely her estimation of his return date. Grabbing a branch, Hanabi swung around, making a hairpin turn and then pushed off the trunk of another tree. When she landed, she performed an inversion, so that her feet stuck to the underside of a branch, and went sailing toward the forest floor.

With a twist, she spun her body before bringing her feet around to land silently in a crouch. Satisfied, Hanabi allowed a tiny smile to form as she stood, then nearly jumped at the sound of applause from her left. Turning, she found a grinning Naruto, reclining casually against a post.

"Sensei, you're back!"

"Yup," Naruto confirmed, his smile growing. "I see you've been practicing while I was gone."

"You told me to train, so I did," Hanabi answered, unnerved by his smile. When her sensei graced her with smiles, it rarely proved beneficial for her health. Still, she gave him the benefit of the doubt. Hanabi even started to ask about his mission, but her instincts kicked in and she dodged left into a one-armed handstand, neatly avoiding a hail of kunai.

In mid-flip, she threw her own bladed-weapon, which Naruto caught, of course. By that time, Hanabi had already regained her feet and shot off into the forest, retreating to the sound of her kunai exploding.

Hanabi should have expected this; he hadn't seen her in two days, after all.

Forming the needed hand seal, Hanabi activated the Hakken no Jutsu to augment her eyesight, and a second later weaved her way through a rain of shuriken from ahead.

Reaching the far side of the attack, Hanabi caught the barest hint of orange as Naruto appeared out of a shunshin ahead of her. Instincts came into play once more and she came to a sudden halt, deflecting his incoming punch away with her palm and then counterattacked with a reverse sidekick at his ribs. Naruto countered by jumping off one foot, while using his momentum to add a spin as he passed over her head.

Hanabi came out of her kick just as Naruto landed with a cocky grin on his face. Frowning, Hanabi adopted yet another fighting stance, attempting to read his body language for the first sign of an attack. She caught the slight shift of weight and the way his arm cocked ever so slightly, making it obvious he was about to punch.

Hanabi would not be fooled and blocked the right round-kick he had been shadowing with his body language. Hanabi felt a moment of satisfaction and pride, right before she went crashing to the ground as his left foot connected with her cheek from a second round-kick he'd loosed before even putting his other foot down. Scrambling back to her feet and blinking away the stars of pain dancing before her eyes, Hanabi found him staring at her oddly. Very oddly.

Why was he staring at her like that for?

Thinking back on the fight so far, Hanabi realized this was the first time she had managed to block any of his attacks. Her momentary epiphany nearly earned her an injury from a vicious back fist. As it was, Hanabi just barely managed to avoid most of the power of his punch, though her shoulder still hurt from the glancing blow.

Stumbling back, angry at allowing her attention to lapse, Hanabi met his next punch with her palm while she pivoted to the outside of the blow. Coming around full speed, determined to make up for her previous lapse, Hanabi brought her other hand around in a knife-hand aimed for his kidney. Not that she expected to make contact with her sensei, so her surprise was greatly magnified as she managed to touch his jacket before he dodged.

Coming around completely from the momentum, Hanabi froze. Eyes widening as she realized what had occurred, she looked up at him, wondering how he would react. Hoping it wasn't lethally. To her infinite surprise, she found approval.

Then he promptly shot forward, his fist connecting with her chin in an uppercut that lifted her off the ground. After she was airborne, he caught her cheek with a spinning back fist that sent her careening to the ground.

"You've gotten better," Naruto said a hint of pride in his voice. "A lot better."

"T-thank you," Hanabi managed, wincing as she pushed her way to her hands and knees, cheek throbbing and mouth full of blood. Then slowly pushed herself upright, swaying as she turned to face him. Naruto smiled at her fondly, crossing his arms. Hanabi closed her eyes while offering her brightest, and bloodiest, smile. "I'm glad that I've improved."

"Me to, means I can go harder on you," Naruto gloated sadistically, and when Hanabi opened her eyes, he motioned for her to attack. Reluctantly, Hanabi did so and was promptly thrown like a rag doll. Recovering nimbly, she spun and charged again. This time he caught her punch and tossed her away while striking up a conversation. "You know, I had expected to find you and Konohamaru engaged in some healthy kissing. What gives?"

"He dumped me," Hanabi said bluntly, unable to help her sour look, as she recovered from a throw.

"He what?" Naruto asked, startled.

"Dumped me," Hanabi repeated, tone disgusted before charging him once more.

Naruto knocked aside her kick, grabbed her wrist and spun her around before tossing her away. "Who the hell would he dump _you _for?"

"Yoshino Kaede," Hanabi sneered, climbing to her feet before dusting herself off. "She just barely qualified for the ninja academy, and spent most of her time whining about her father wishing to move."

"So he dumped a cutie like you," Naruto muttered, scratching his head, "for a whiny bitch?"

"Exactly," Hanabi confirmed before looking away, shoulders sagging. "Why does he want her?"

"Dunno," Naruto answered, "some people are just stupid like that."

"Maybe it's me," Hanabi mumbled, frowning. The thought had plagued her relentlessly, staying up late at night, staring at nothing, searching for the flaw that made her unworthy. Less than. Not good enough. Was she too cool? Too formal? She'd thought losing her title would change that. Maybe she hadn't been feminine enough for him?

What exactly was wrong with her?

"It's not you," Naruto said, then, seeing her skeptical look, grinned. "If I were five years younger, I'd ask you out. It's not you Hanabi. Konohamaru is just stupid is all. Trust me: He's going to regret dumping you."

"That is good to know," Hanabi said, buoyed by his words and blushing despite herself.

"Well, now that we've discussed your non-existent love life," Naruto continued dryly with an evil grin, "I need to get back to kicking your ass. We have three hours before we're supposed to see the Hokage, and after that you can go kick Konohamaru in the balls. Not that you needed me to tell you that, right?"

"Right," Hanabi said grimly, settling into her taijutsu stance once more.

* * *

Mitarashi Anko sometimes wondered, in the depths of her insanity, if assassinating the Hokage would really be that hard. It wasn't often that she considered such things, but at the moment she had nothing better to do. Snacking on her dango, Anko stared at the one-eyed man currently holding the title, musing on the concept purely for provisionary measures, of course.

She wasn't doing so out of some sick and twisted form of amusement. No sir-y.

Losing interest in her thoughts, mainly because her tattered sanity told it her would be to much hassle, Anko turned her attention toward Naruto. They hadn't spent as much time together as she would have preferred, but that could be blamed on a number of things. Still, she would have to talk with him soon, because she had started meeting with the clans. While he might be upset, she would have to make it clear he needed to tell Ino before one of the Clan Heads told Inoichi.

"Are we sure he's not been studying with you?" Asuma asked, rubbing his wiry black beard and tugging anxiously on his Jōnin vest. He chewed on an unlit cigarette. "He's an hour late."

"Well, I did give him a few pointers," Kakashi offered without looking up from his Icha Icha.

"Oh eternal rival, how I weep at your corruption of such a bright flame!" Gai proclaimed from his space across the room, then upon the Hokage ignoring him began to rant about such a "cool" response. The only one present who was completely uninterested in the whole affair was Kurenai, who sat quietly on a chair in the corner, soaking in an air of sullenness.

"Relax, Asuma," Anko finally said, cutting short Gai's tirade. Despite the sudden quiet, she felt the start of a migraine. "Naruto probably lost track of time while kicking the shit outta Hanabi."

Asuma merely grumbled, chewing persistently on his sodden cigarette. Damn thing was probably unburnable at this point. Not that it took a genius to figure out why he wanted this over. After all, his ex-fiancée was in the room and utterly ignoring him, as if he were no more than drying paint. They'd better learn to get along, as they'd be working together as part of the Niju Shotai.

Anko did find it amusing as hell, grinning around her empty dango stick.

Hence the reason they were all present –the first meeting of the Niju Shotai. There was definitely plenty they had need to discuss, and enough secrecy to make anyone, ex-fiancée or not, nervous. Secretyly, Anko felt that another secret group within Konoha would prove to be a huge mistake, even if the intention behind it was a good one.

The road to hell was paved with plenty of good intentions.

Still, Kakashi was convinced they had to do something to counter Unity and their growing influence. According to Kakashi, with each passing day the number of ANBU and regular ninja he could trust was rapidly dwindling. Anko knew that even if they won Unity would not die; the ideology would live on, it always did.

Finishing her dango, Anko sighed softly and then glanced at the door at the click of the knob turning. Grinning, she flicked her finished dango stick at the entrance as the door opened to admit the latecomer.

Naruto ducked, and Ino followed his lead, then threw a kunai in retaliation, which Anko caught with a grin.

"Yer late, runt," Anko said, then began the balancing game she was so fond of with the borrowed weapon.

"Well, you know how it is, psycho," Naruto responded with a grin, as Hanabi finally entered the office and closed the door behind her.

"So, why are you gracing us with your eloquent presence at such a late hour?" Kakashi asked almost conversationally, not looking up from his book.

"Me and two kunoichi alone in the woods," Naruto answered, a sly grin on his face. "I think you can figure it out."

"Don't say stuff like that!" Ino shouted, blushing as she slapped him upside the head. Hanabi blushed as well, but kept her mouth shut.

"Yosh, to speak in such a manner, and so lightly about that subject," Gai said, sounding overly affronted. "Truly, you have been corrupted by the ignoble flame of the Hokage!"

"Uhm?" Naruto muttered hesitantly, staring at Gai in shock, mirrored by the two kunoichi.

"Oh, how I weep for the tarnished flame of youth!" Gai continued, turning on a still reading Kakashi. "Do you not feel no shame at your actions, rival?!"

"Huh, did you say something?" the Hokage asked, tone clueless, glancing up from his book.

This set off Gai even further into a lament on the state of generations and dying flames and such, much to everyone's despair.

Anko tuned it out, resigned to let things run their course.

"Uhh, so why are there so many people here?" Naruto finally asked twenty minutes later, give or take. Gai's eyes still shone with the residue of his passionate, and largely ineffective, speech.

"Because we're the current Niju Shotai," Asuma said, blowing several smoke rings into the air. "Now that you're finally here, we can start the meeting, right Hokage-sama?"

"Exactly," Kakashi said, putting his book down. "I think the first thing we need to do is-"

"I have a question," Hanabi said, speaking for the first time. Seeing that she wasn't about to get yelled at, the girl continued, firm but polite. "I have been thinking about the name, and it seems rather inappropriate."

"The girls right," Asuma added. "If we lived up to the name Niju Shotai, there would be no way we could really operate like you want. As it is, were not going to stay hidden from Unity's attention for long."

"Well, it was just the first name I thought of," Kakashi offered, tone bland but bordering on impatience. "If anyone can think of a better one, please be my guest."

"How wise you are, eternal rival!" Gai boasted, before rubbing his chin in thought. "Yosh, what about Kinnouka Butai?"

"If we're going to change the name," Anko said with a flare of annoyance. "I think we should avoid ones that Unity could use against us."

"Good point," Asuma said, puffing away on is cigarette. "How about Kage Butai?"

"That makes us sound like a corporation," Ino said with a shake of her head, "which I doubt we want."

Naruto agreed with her, followed by Hanabi, and the argument over the name went on for another ten minutes before a very unexpected source spoke up.

"This is wasting time, Unity isn't sitting around debating their name, they're moving to usurp the village from the control of the Hokage," Yūhi Kurenai said morosely. "If you need a new name that badly, let's go with Kage Seiei and be done with it. We're all elite in some fashion, and we'll be working for the Hokage from the shadows."

"Wow," Anko said, blinking in surprise. "So you can talk in more than monosyllables. Plus, it's got a nice ring to it. Everyone happy now?"

"Works for me," Naruto said with a shrug.

"Now that we've cleared that up," Kakashi said with a hint of amusement. "Naruto, if you wouldn't mind, why don't you tell us about those humanoids you faced yesterday after you completed your mission?"

"Again?" Naruto asked, then at the curt nod sighed and started talking.

Anko didn't pay too much attention at first. Slowly, as he described the things he had fought, her nonchalance was impossible to maintain. Eyes widening as he talked about their resilience and strength, she felt a chill run through her at the knowledge that Orochimaru had created them.

"What the hell are they?" Ino asked, stunned.

"Shinin. They're called Shinin," Anko said, her gaze distant. "Everything Naruto said is accurate – superior strength, speed, high durability. They don't feel pain and have inhuman reaction time. They can also survive almost any attack, though maybe not in functional battle form. They don't need sleep or food and they don't question orders."

"Anko?" Kakashi asked, sounding surprised.

"Shinin are, were, a failed experiment of _sensei's_," Anko explained with a shrug. "He wanted to make an army of them to use against Konoha's enemies. He only ever managed to make one. As a test, he sent it against the Yondaime. Naturally, the Hokage ripped it to shreds in a blink, and Orochimaru decided they were a worthless creation."

"So how do we handle these things?" Asuma asked, shifting anxiously in his seat.

"Kill'em," Anko said with a shrug. "Naruto had it right; namely, an instant kill technique will do it. That is why they retreated. They most likely had orders to avoid death if they encountered a strong enough enemy."

"Why?" Hanabi asked, scowling in thought.

"We could study the corpse," Ino answered, "then dissect their secrets."

"Ah."

"These Shinin would explain the disappearances Koinu told me about yesterday," Kakashi interjected, sounding thoughtful. Then seeing their looks, related the contents of yesterdays meeting, much to their growing concentration.

"Yosh, that is troubling," Gai said. "If the vile snake Orochimaru has truly created such a befouled creature and created an army of them, I weep for those that face them."

"An army of them would be enough to seriously threaten our forces," Kakashi said, his tone turning grave. "I'll spread word among the ANBU about what we're facing. Asuma, you handle the regular forces. It wouldn't be strange for you to know about this."

"Right," Asuma said with a slight nod.

"As for this 'army'," Kakashi said with a slight scowl, glancing at Ino. "Think you and Anko could work together long enough to slip into Oto and find out for us?"

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, I know I am probably speaking out of turn," Hanabi said, suddenly looking curious, "but would it not be better if you sent the ANBU you could trust to find out that information?"

"Yes," Kakashi said, amusement in his tone, "which is why I asked Ino to join Anko on the trip. Two ANBU are better than one and all that."

Hanabi blinked rapidly as the knowledge dawned on her, trying to maintain her composure. Anko almost choked from repressed mirth at her incredulous gaze, which flickered reflexively to Ino's sneering face. Naruto couldn't help but laugh at her as well, which made Hanabi shoot him a slightly disgruntled look, but he played it off nicely enough by messing her hair up and laughing harder.

"Uh, Hokage-sama," Ino said, cutting through the light-hearted reprieve. "No offense, but Anko's always hammered into our heads that we weren't suppose to reveal that sort of information."

"Oh, she's right," Kakashi agreed with a nod, "but everyone in this room has my complete trust. Why shouldn't Hanabi know that you're in ANBU? It's not like she's going to run up to the first Unity member or foreign enemy she encounters to tell them that you're ANBU or part of the Kage Seiei."

"Yeah, Tsuru-chan can keep a secret," Naruto added with a nod, then at Hanabi's snort, patted her head fondly. "Awww, don't be like that. It's a cute name, ain't it, Ino-chan?"

"Yeah, real cute," Ino agreed sarcastically before sighing. "I suppose I could do it. But what about the other mission you gave me?"

"Oh," Kakashi said, blinking, "Good point. I'll send Ashige-san then, provided Anko can keep from killing him."

"I'll think about it," Anko said blandly, almost grimacing.

"Excuse me," Asuma interrupted, scowling slightly as he fiddled with a new cigarette, the previously ruined one likely discarded inconspicuously somewhere on the floor. "But what did Yamanaka-san mean by 'other mission'?"

Rolling her eyes, Anko tuned the conversation out again, while Kakashi explained that the "mission" involved making Ino a permanent member of Naruto's team to entice Unity to get greedy in recruiting her. Anko personally felt this was a bit dim, but she didn't have much say in the matter. Besides, Ino was close to Jōnin, which was better backup than just Hanabi against Akatsuki. Hanabi was good for a Genin, in practice at an advanced Chūnin level; but she was no ANBU.

"Uh, not to sound stupid, and no offense, Naruto," Asuma said, glancing at him, "but isn't Unity after family members of the former Hokages to control the current one? Why would they want to talk with Naruto?"

"Well, Naruto, you want to tell them or should I?" Kakashi asked, his tone laced with amusement.

"Oh let me!" Ino said, her tone also amused, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I've been dying to tell someone about, Naruto-ouji!"

"Ouji?" Hanabi asked, glancing at him with equal parts suspicion and curiosity.

"Yeah," Ino replied with a cheeky grin, then cleared her throat and straightened up before gesturing at Naruto. "I am proud to present Uzumaki Naruto, the son of Konoha's Kiiro Hirameku, the Yondaime Hokage!"

"Did you really have to say it like that?" Naruto asked in annoyance as Asuma's cigarette feel from his mouth, Gai openly gawked at him, Kurenai fell out of her chair and Hanabi scowled venomously.

"Aww, but it was so much fun!" Ino gloated. "Are you really that upset with me Naruto-ouji?"

"No, guess not," Naruto said with a resigned sigh. "After all, Ino-hime, we all know you have to gossip."

"It's not gossip!" Ino protested sharply. "I'm just, ya know, keeping everyone up to date on current events."

"S-so wait, you mean Naruto is really the son of the Yondaime?" Asuma finally managed, eyes wide, looking so humorous that Anko started laughing all over again.

"Exactly," Kakashi confirmed, "but that's not what we really need to talk about. There is some important information-"

What information there was, however, Kakashi never said.

The door to the office flew open, slamming into the wall and barely holding on by its protesting hinges. The commotion revealed a breathless ANBU, wearing a dog mask, prompting all present to pull weapons and turn on him.

"Hokage-sama!" Dog Mask gasped, tone lacking all formality and tinged with black panic. "We just got word. The Great Wall has crumbled!"

"WHAT?!" chorused the assembled party.

"The section of the Hi no Kuni Great Wall that bordered Oto no Kuni: It has crumbled! All of it. Oto ninja and samurai are pouring through the hole," the Chūnin continued, hands trembling as he ran his hands through his close-cropped auburn hair. "Early reports say that they've managed to capture Edyoto. The governors head is already on a p-pike in the street."

"Do we have ANBU moving to surround the area?" Kakashi asked, his tone unusually grave.

"Every available team. Once the report arrived, Tenzou-sama sent orders out. By now the Oto forces have swept most of the way into Region Two, but ours have started surrounding the area."

"Good," Kakashi said, standing curtly. "Gai, Asuma, I want you to take your teams and head there immediately. I'll have more teams on the way, but you two depart now."

"Hai!" The two Jōnin said and were gone in a rush.

"Kurenai, I need you to work with Koinu to keep the forces here organized. Anko, I need you to gather a group of ANBU and get them set up for continuous patrols around the capital."

"Hai," came Kurenai's lack luster response before she left.

Anko was halfway to the door without an answer, mind racing with the implications of this event, when Naruto's voice stopped her cold.

"What about my team?"

Turning, Anko glanced from the Hokage to Naruto, and then back at the masked man.

"Naruto," Kakashi said, addressing the blond with a tone that sounded less a lazy pervert and more a Hokage with mettle. "Your team is the closest thing we have assembled to a recovery team right now, so I need you to slip behind enemy lines and get the Governor's family out of there."

"We could use another person," Ino said, her tone equally serious.

"I already had someone in mind. He'll meet you at Gate Five in ten minutes."

"Right!" Naruto said curtly, then turning met Anko's gaze, before hurrying out, flanked by the two kunoichi on his team. After another moment, Anko turned her attention back to the Hokage who met her gaze levelly. A silent unasked question passed between them and then he nodded slightly.

"They'll be fine," Kakashi said, before adding cryptically, "Trust me."

"Right," Anko said dubiously, then hesitated for another minute. "I'll get a couple of teams to check the neighboring sections of the Great Wall. I don't trust those Hi no Kuni ninja stationed there to notice anything."

"Good idea," Kakashi said and then turned his attention the ANBU.

Anko closed the door and hurried off, leaving him to his business, heart racing in concern for Naruto's, and to a smaller extent Hanabi and Ino's, well being. Going behind enemy lines, facing who knew what, at the opening of a war. She only prayed, haphazardly and to a deity that had probably forgotten her and fallen off His chair at the sound of her plea, that nothing too horrible happened to them.

* * *

It had been one of those days, the ones where you wished you had the common sense to stay in bed. For Konohamaru it had started shortly after completing a C-rank mission. His teammates had turned on him at the end of the mission, leaving Konohamaru a rather battered and bruised mess, with the message that nobody liked glory hogs.

Needless to say, Konohamaru later retaliated and sent both to the hospital. Ami-sensei, unfortunately, didn't see an explanation for his "assault" and had suspended him from active duty until the two were out of the hospital. Konohamaru had spent the rest of his morning in a holding cell within the Military Police until Hinata had taken pity and released him.

The only bright side was that Kaede had been waiting for him and agreed to go out on a date.

They were walking down the street silently, both aware of the upswing in ninja activity around them. Something big must have happened, the roofs were swarming, but to Konohamaru it mattered little. Apparently, Choko and Chen were not due out of the hospital for another two days. Not that he cared very much. They had brought it on themselves.

"Konohamaru-kun, I better get going. I'm supposed to be meeting up with my team for a bit of extra training," Kaede said, squeezing his hand.

"Uh, oh, okay," Konohamaru managed, glancing at her with a slight blush. Unlike Hanabi, Kaede was a lot more demonstrative in her affection and in wanting to make it clear to everyone that they were together. Also, unlike Hanabi, he couldn't spar Kaede. She didn't even approach his level, nor did she seem to view sparring as an appropriate dating activity.

"Well, bye," Kaede said after another moment, a note of exasperation in her tone as she kissed his cheek before hurrying off.

Staring after her, Konohamaru frowned slightly, but sighed. They hadn't been together all that long, and while Kaede was very cute, he couldn't quite stop thinking about Hanabi. Shaking his head, annoyed at his inability to be satisfied with what he had, Konohamaru turned away only to come face to stomach with one Uzumaki Naruto. "Naruto?!"

"There you are," the man said, his face set into a frightening visage. Before Konohamaru could fully appreciate this disturbing observation, the blond had pulled him under arm and started walking, a kunai appearing out of nowhere in the hand near Konohamaru's throat. "Now, I've been out of the village for a while. High priority mission, you know, but from what I hear you broke up with _my_ student, Hanabi-imouto."

"Imouto?" Konohamaru asked, almost squeaked, paling as a killer intent started to surround him like a lover's embrace.

"So, anyway, after hearing this I decided I'd come talk with you. Just so we could clear some things up," Naruto continued smoothly, as if not noticing Konohamaru's sudden discomfort. "Sadly, I have to go with my team on an **extremely** important mission and I'm not sure when I'll get back."

"I'm sorry about-"

"Now, now, lets save all of that for later," Naruto said, suddenly releasing him as he stepped forward and turned to look at him. "Don't think that because I'm leaving unexpectedly, I'll let you off the hook. That's why I'm here, just to let you know that when I get back, we'll have that nice, long talk, in a very soundproof area."

"Soundproof?" Konohamaru parroted weakly, cringing.

"For the screams," Naruto clarified blandly, the kunai spinning around a finger, the killing intent suddenly spiking to inhuman levels. "Anyway, I'll be seeing you," and then with that, Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Konohamaru stood there for another moment and then gulped, barely realizing the front of his pants were wet.

* * *

__

Hi no Kuni, Region Two, Western Half...

A war-cry drifted from behind the fleeing samurai, echoing and muffled against trees and underbrush. But that did little to ease the panic and fear clawing for release in her chest. Chinen Amaya was twenty, and one of the few female captains within the Hi no Kuni Samurai who had earned her rank through cunning, skill and experience, rather than coercion and connections.

She had served proudly for years, under the Daimyo's most trusted General Shinta, and before that she had served as part of Governor Uo's personal bodyguards, to whom her alliagence had orginally been sworn to. This was supposed to be her long awaited dream, her own company of samurai to command as well as a fiefdom to rule for Governor Uo.

The sounds of their pursuers were gaining ground, meaning they had torn through the men she'd left behind to cover the retreat from the ambush. Amaya barked orders without realizing it, prompting more of her men to fall back as sacrificial offerings, and lungs burning, legs aching, she pushed the core of her company forward away from the battle behind them.

This whole affair was a nightmare, Amaya wanted to cry and laugh at the same moment; it was supposed to be so simple. She had been leading her company to Inagi, a medium sized town that was to be her capital and then, and then…many of her men were lost in a spray of blood and gore amid the deafening roar of dragons.

An ambush, she didn't know by who, or why, or how, and as more of her men were ripped apart terror clutched her heart. The deaths were unlike any she knew; either by sword, by spear, or arrow. These deaths were horrific and gruesome beyond any measure, limbs ripped from bodies, holes torn through torsos, and always accompanied by those defending roars from unseen dragons.

Amaya had lost twenty-five samurai in the blink of an eye and her panicked order to retreat had been instinctual. More were falling as they gave their lives so that main body could find some place to regroup, but all Amaya really cared about was that she had not heard a roar since they retreat began. But the terror and panic wouldn't leave her heart; it would claw and tear at her, because somehow she _knew_ that the roars would return.

Rounding the bend in the road, she spotted the chance she had so desperately been risking a route and death for. A wide stream and over it a bridge, it would be a perfect way to break this attack. Amaya shouted her orders, a hint of hysteria creeping into her voice, as the troops spurred themselves onward.

Her lungs felt as if they were stuffed with burning coals, but she mastered her body's need to stop and catch her wind. It wasn't until the thundering sound of feet slapping against dried wood reached her that Amaya realized they were crossing the bridge. Her eyes automatically fanned right then left.

Her samurai were doing as ordered, despite their own heavy breathing; the few archers she had spread out on either side of the bridge and were currently notching their bows, while others attempted to set up desperate barricades. Reaching the other side, she panted, stumbling out of the way of the others before turning to stare back along the path.

Grabbing her Sargent, Mori Nobu, she took a deep breath before speaking. "Gather a squad and send some west and east, just in case they want to try fording down stream."

"Yes, Chinen-sama," Nobu said with a smart salute, and then rasping out an order hurried off with twelve men.

Amaya watched for a half second, trying to ease the burning in her lungs and then called her messenger over and sent him out in search of reinforcements. That done, Amaya turned back to the bridge and waited for her approaching enemy. Would they emerge accompanied with the roar of dragons?

Panting, she surveyed the land warily; if that mysterious weapon came into play they were finished but if it they didn't she could hold this line. It would be rough, but she could hold this and she would avenge her fallen men, there was no doubt in her about that. The only question that haunted her was those weapons, what were they and how could the cause such total devastation?

A moment later her enemy came into view, dressed gray and white livery making the Ta no Kuni standard they carried pointless. Stunned at such a revelation she let out a disbelieving and somewhat hysterical laugh; being forced into retreat by such an insignificant nation was almost too much. Never mind that the force across from her was close to four hundred, or that they had some mysteriously terrifying weapon…they were Ta no Kuni…it was simply, absurd.

Amaya managed to stifle her laughter, aware of the unease sweeping through those closest to her. Hysteria from the commanding officer would be counter-productive, the men were already suffering and her hysteria could easily sweep through the ranks. Clutching the hilt of her katana, which served as a desperately needed anchor now, Amaya weighed the odds.

Four hundred men, in standard parade formation and no sign of any unusual weapons. Still, something struck Amaya as odd, why was the enemy simply standing there, watching them. Her eyes darted to her own men, her archers were tense, bows ready for the command to attack even as Amaya hesitated.

There was something going she didn't understand, why stand there so proudly? They showed no fear of the awaiting assault, standing so calmly on the other side of the Anegawa River as if they owned…Amaya felt her eyes widen in horror, realization dawning. The Anegawa River ran through Region Two, and had served as the border since the formation of Hi no Kuni, which meant that at the moment they controlled this part of the region.

"Archers," she said curtly, her tone ringing with total command "Fire!"

A dozen taunt bowstrings released their payload, raining arrows down on the forward most enemies. Here a man collapsed, impaled through his throat, clutching at the shaft, another through the eye and yet the others the chest; creating a cornucopia of screams and cascades of blood, giving them a taste of the terror that Amaya and her men had suffered.

It was as short-lived taste of vengeance, as her archers reloaded, those that had foolishly came too far forward pulled back moving out of range. Amaya swore, eying her enemy in a sour-rage, waiting for the retaliation of arrows that should be coming at any moment to cut down her men.

When nothing immediately came, she bit her lip, flexing her hand on the hilt of her katana. A moment later her unspoken fears took shape as four figures dressed in gray and black clothes, sporting forehead protectors, stepped forward. The word ninja flashed through her mind, filling her with a horrible realization.

Their stillness, the way the just watched and waited, made it clear that they weren't going to push any further. Yet at the same time, this was a show of power, making it clear that if they did decide to press their advantage, her men faced annihilation.

Amaya glowered impotently at the enemy, terror and fear replaced with despair.

* * *

__

Hi no Kuni, Region Two, Southern Half...

The water frothed with blood and mud, metal ringing and humans screaming. The latest push from the enemy was straining the defense's he had in place, but his men fought like dying tigers; men littered with arrows made desperate charges, as others that were run through with spears, their guts spilling out, spent the last of their life pulling their bodies forward to kill the enemy.

Emura Issen grimaced, surveying the battle with the kind of dread that meant success was an elusive hope he couldn't afford. Success at this point meant holding out until someone came to reinforce them. They couldn't hold the line for long.

The Ta no Kuni samurai had materialized out of the fall foliage like evening shades, catching them on the northern bank of the Anegawa River, not that it had done them much good. Even by surprise, the forces under his command had countered the attack quickly enough to form an adequate defense. For now.

Issen wanted to lunge into battle, but he knew he needed to hang back and direct the battle as best he could. If he retreated, if he or his men gave one inch, then it would be certain death. His forces were spread too thin to regroup into a solid wedge. Plus, if his guess was right, these Ta samurai were only the advanced force of a larger army that would soon arrive.

Somehow, Ta no Kuni had circumvented the Great Wall of Hi No Kuni.

His horse stamped its feet edgily, but he barley spared the attention to offer her a soothing word. His eyes were darting from section to section. His spearmen and swordsmen fought gamely onward despite the hail of arrows. He had fewer archers, and they were relentlessly working to keep the sole ninja he had spotted pinned down.

It would only be a matter of time if this kept up. He chewed his lip raw, eyes narrowing. They needed to break the attack, force the enemy into retreat, and a route could follow. "Push them back!" Issen all but screamed, his men abandoned their holding strategies for near wild attacks.

One man actually attempted to jump and chop his enemy in half. Had to be a new recruit. The gray-and-black armored Ta Samurai responded by swiftly sidestepping out of the way, allowing the airborne samurai to plunge into the water and then finished the fight with a jab of his katana. Despite this, others followed and the battle became total pandemonium, with death stalking the bloodied water.

"Enough of this," Issen snarled, grasping the reins of his horse and addressing his aides. "We lend our strength NOW!"

They roared in agreement, and each drew their katana as he led them into the water. Issen snatched a discarded naginata protruding from the corpse of a Hi no Kuni samurai, and crashed into battle with a war cry. He trampled men like weeds, his naginata dancing, cutting men down with the elegance of a gentle lover.

Shouting for his men to rally to him, he slowly pushed forward, bending the Ta no Kuni line, his men fighting with renewed ferocity at his presence. Blood and water scattered into the air around him in a morbid parody of rain, offering death in place of life, obscuring vision as he relentlessly pushed onward. The Ta line seemed to be splintering, giving way, and Issen felt his heart thudding like the war drum in his chest "Charge! Drive these bastards back to their hole!"

His men let out a monstrous roar as they threw themselves into the battle, but then the very river exploded, turning on them like a jilted lover, filled with icy teeth and cold vengeance.

A dragon bellowed.

* * *

__

Hi no Kuni, Region Two, Eastern Half, Akanohara Plain...

Asuma moved in near silence as he slipped behind the attacking group of Oto Samurai, jaw set and eyes hard. In a flash of violence, he struck, the samurai captain garroted from behind by a trench-knife. He parried the blow of a katana with his other, and as the attacking samurai tried to regain his balance, Asuma struck his temple before disappearing back into the forest before the others noticed him.

No sooner had he disappeared from view than Hagane Kotetsu slipped in behind the now distracted group, smashing one with his unique shell like weapon. Kotetsu was already retreating as shadows twined around the bodies of two more samurai, before the audible snap of their necks filled the clearing. The last samurai, spinning around frantically, died in a spray of blood and gore as a shuriken hit his back followed by an explosion.

"Clear." Asuma said, touching the radio set he wore before addressing the team's forward scout. "Kamizuki-san, what's your status?"

"Forward position, is clear. Hostiles located to the west, ETA about three minutes if we set out now." Izumo responded.

"Alright, regroup on Kamizuki-san's location," Asuma said, starting forward as Shikamaru and Kotetsu passed along their confirmations. A minute later the four ninja were gone, rushing through the small forest that bordered the sweltering area known as Akanohara. They had been arrived an hour ago, to a heated battle between nearly equal forces of samurai.

Hi no Kuni held the advantage, but this former swamp seemed to be the heart of the Oto assault and the heated air was rich and heavy with the scent of excrement and rotting wounds, with the sound of men wishing they were dead. Asuma eyed the three younger ninja, Kotetsu and Izumo looked impassive, while Shikamaru was obviously bothered.

With each samurai they took out, the torn and mutilated bodies sinking into the swamp, that look grew more pronounced. Asuma thought about saying something, but what could he say that would help? No, this was something that Shikamaru would have to come to terms with on his own.

Coming just to the edge of the small grouping of trees that bordered Akanohara, the team paused hidding among the shadows, watching the battle unfold below them. Forefront in Asuma's mind, besides the fact that he was thankful that his father had not lived to see yet another Shinobi War, was how the Oto forces had brought the Great Wall down. Ever since the end of the Third Shinobi War, the Wall had proven the single most effective defense ever devised.

It had involved an unbelievably advanced Doton ninjutsu from the Sandaime and sustained by powerful seals known only to Jiraiya and the Yondaime. Added to that were the numerous samurai and ninja - until last year Konoha ninja and now Hi no Kuni ninja- that patrolled those walls. The vastness of the wall, the precaution of the guards, had made the barrier nigh impenetrable.

That defense had confounded even the most powerful of the other Kage Powers, but he supposed with Orochimaru, he should not be too surprised. That creature was a Kage power unto himself, twisted though he had become.

"Asuma," Izumo said. The bearded Jōnin came out of his thoughts and glanced at him. The man, seeing he had Asuma's attention, nodded at the hill on the edge of the field. Asuma turned his attention that direction. Five hundred or more enemy samurai were thundering over the hill in a haphazard pack, preparing to slam into the beleaguered Hi no Kuni samurai.

"Kotetsu! Get down there and warn the commander," Asuma said curtly, even as the younger ninja took off to do the job. Eyes sweeping back over the field, he spotted Gai's team as they tore through a thick knot of samurai and ninja. Satisfied, he turned his attention back to the approaching force, determining how to stem the tide before it crashed into the unprotected flank of his fellow countrymen.

The attackers gathered speed, a roar rising up from the thunder of their cavalry's hooves. A group of Hi no Kuni samurai who had pulled back from an ambitious forward assault filled the space between the groups, stringing themselves out in loose formation two lines deep. If this position did not hold, Akanohara would belong to Oto, ceding the majority of Region Two to their enemy within the first hour of battle.

"Where's the attack commander?" Shikamaru asked, scowling at the attacking Oto forces.

"None of the Oto commanders are wearing battle armor or flying standards," Asuma said softly.

"Smart," Shikamaru said with reluctant respect. "They're remaining nondescript."

"Yeah," Asuma agreed with a slight nod, and then his eyes caught movement on the far side of the enemy lines and he turned his full attention that way. He couldn't be sure, not at this distance, but for a moment, he would have sworn he had seen Naruto and his team. Why would they be that deep behind enemy lines?

"Keikan-san is sending his reserves forward," Shikamaru said suddenly, snapping Asuma's attention back to the battle.

Asuma watched in silence. The Hi no Kuni reserves surged forward, joining in the most pitched battle so far. The next few minutes would decided it, Asuma thought, frowning as he swept the field and noticed a lack of Oto ninja.

The ungainly Oto forces suddenly formed into tightly-formed phalanxes, four bodies across and twenty-five deep. Asuma abandoned the search for the Oto ninja for the moment and watched as the Oto samurai charged the Hi no Kuni forces. The front ranks of Hi no Kuni fired a salvo of arrows in perfect unison that was rewarded with death filled screams and bodies falling aside with gruesome finality.

The Oto front ranks melted before the assault, even as the front rank knelt to reload while the second ranks fired over them, and then a third and fourth. Before long, the area was filled with shouts and screams of disorder. Perhaps not singling out commanders and standard bearers was more blunder than shrewdness. The Oto were not to be outdone, and they hurled heedlessly forward into a frontal attack, but the process was repeated.

The Oto attack faltered, then broke apart and retreated in confusion, some headed toward Asuma's team in the tree line.

The Hi no Kuni Samurai gave bloody pursuit, emitting terrible battle cries, slaughtering any enemy they could reach. No quarter here. The few remaining Oto phalanxes retreated before the enraged swarm. The Hi no Kuni regiments hurtled toward the kill, when suddenly the phalanxes regrouped in V-formation and knelt, firing arrows that exploded on contact with deadly accuracy.

The Hi no Kuni samurai's route faltered in the face of this unexpected retaliation.

"What the fuck!?" Izumo shouted flinching as a salvo of those arrows exploded against a group close to them.

"Move!" Asuma bellowed, shoving Shikamaru aside as he saw oblong tubes on wheels appearing from hidden locations behind the now attacking Oto forces. Teams of Oto ninja backed each war machine and all the openings were aimed at both the forest and the unsuspecting Hi no Kuni Samurai. With a deafening roar, followed by an odd whistling sound, the trees were obliterated and the samurai below filled the air with their final desperate breath, a sound like the gates to Hell had opened and all the damned cried out in guttural concert.

Lifting his head from behind the cover he'd taken, Asuma felt his stomach churn as he surveyed the results of that assault. A sheet of bodies littered the field, more parts and pieces then whole men, and those that weren't wailed with enough agony to make his teeth ache.

Another loud roar filled the air and Asuma watched in horrid fascination as the objects slammed into the scattered and disorganized samurai. The devastation went beyond description, bodies horrifically torn and broken, scattered limbs; there could be no doubt that Akanohara was more a gruesome killing field than a battle.

Another series of roars and more souls were blown away, joining their fellows in their death throws. Someone finally issued a belated sound of retreat. The surviving samurai of Hi no Kuni ran, like beasts in the slaughter pen, those blasts going off all around them and dogging their retreat.

Asuma issued his own retreat orders, joining in the frantic escape, saving what samurai that they could as they went. Unfortunately, many simply died before they could reach them, others died in their arms splattering the Konoha ninja with gore and things best not thought about.

Nor could he block out the jeers of the Oto forces behind them, as the Hi no Kuni forces fled from the land they had once owned. He only hoped that Gai and his team had better luck, but he desperately had to tell the Hokage about those odd weapons, because he knew exactly what would happen when they were turned on the walls of Konoha.

* * *

On the first night of October, as the harvest moon rose over a field of human waste and razed forest, Region Two belonged to Oto no Kuni.

* * *

They were behind enemy lines, following a rough path toward Edyoto in a standard square formation. Hanabi and Naruto were in the lead, moving silently through the trees while playing a game of "one ups manship". Leaving Yamanaka Ino to travel alongside their newest, and oddest, team mate in silence.

Wondering at how Oto had managed to invade them. How Oto had managed to bring down the strongest defense ever devised. What was more, Ino knew that they had to have allies. Because despite of the 'Shinin' and whatever else they had, Konoha would crush them eventually.

Naruto in contrast, wouldn't think about it, at least not at the moment. Ino had gotten to know him well enough to realize that, he focused on the moment. Later, on the way back to Konoha when the mission was finished, he would think about everything then.

Watching Naruto and Hanabi's seemingly carefree antics, she heaved a silent sigh and turned her attention to the newest member of the team, wondering what he thought of his new companions. Besshu Nisei showed no interest nor reaction as Naruto tripped Hanabi with a cleverly placed wind jutsu and cackled like a three-year-old. The man merely kept pace beside her, his movements crisp and reserved, limiting any interpretation of his personality that might reveal who he was.

Nisei was, by all outward appearances, a total mystery. He was dressed like he was trying to make a cocoon of his clothing, in the standard gray button up of a Hokage office worker and a flak vest. He wore a forehead protector bandanna, a half-face mask like the Hokage's and dark, wrap-round sunglasses. He said very little and he had yet to make any small talk, which most people did when joining a team.

For all of that, Nisei seemed familiar.

"There are four Oto ninja ahead," Nisei suddenly interjected, his voice rather muffled. "They seem to be pursuing a Hi no Kuni samurai."

"Four?" Naruto asked, suddenly dropping back to pace them. "Can you tell how strong they are?"

"No," Nisei said, head tilting down slightly in a fashion that triggered an elusive memory in Ino's distracted psyche. "They have lost the samurai's trail. I would suggest we recover him and leave these--"

"I'll do that," Naruto said with a wide grin, before glancing at Hanabi "Oi, Tsuru-chan, you go take care of those four ninja. Oh and, um, don't ruin their clothes if you can help it. Got it?"

"Wait, think about—" Ino started to protest before the two sped in different directions, leaving her and Nisei alone. "Fuck! I don't know which one is the bigger idiot."

"He is still prone to rather rash decisions, I see." Nisei mused, before sighing and shifting directions to go after Hanabi.

"Wait, you said that as if you knew him in the past," Ino barked, hurrying to keep up with him.

With each little gesture, each shift of weight, each word and intonation, he was reminding her of someone. His identity remained amorphous, but his personality was beginning to crystallize just at the edges of her subconscious.

"Now is not the time for such conversations," Nisei said by way of response and continued on, as Ino came to a sudden stop.

Eyes widening, mouth gaping as sudden realization slammed into her. The way he spoke, projected his presence, the way he moved and his comment from earlier...She knew who he was and she wondered why he was here and being quiet about it.

"Ohhh, just you wait," Ino grumbled, hurrying after him once more. "When this is over, I'm going to so kick your ass, Shino, it ain't even funny."

Ino found him crouched in the tree branches just ahead and came to a silent halt when he raised is hand. Frowning, Ino pushed her anger and annoyance aside for the moment. "What is it?"

"Hanabi-san," Nisei, Shino, said and then nodded at the clearing. Disgruntled, Ino shifted her attention to the clearing below and what she found made her eyes widen in shock. Of the four Oto ninja, one was already sprawled dead on the ground and another was in the process of joining him, while Hanabi pivoted and ducked the slash of a kunai.

The girl moved forward with a Shunshin and when she reappeared, her palm made contact with his chest along with a faint flash of chakra. His body jerked slightly and then, kunai slackening, he fell, dead before gravity had time to claim him fully. The last one wisely tried to form a defensive ninjutsu, but he fumbled through the seals and Hanabi reached him in another Shunshin.

He lashed out wildly, but Hanabi jumped, foot briefly touching his arm, then she flipped over him. Her palm grazed his head with another flash of chakra and he too crumpled in a lifeless heap. Hanabi landed nimbly, then turned to calmly survey her work, her breathing slightly labored.

Their uniforms were spotless, save for a few grass stains.

"Un...fucking...believable," Ino muttered, both awed and disturbed at the display. It had only been a day, if that, since Hanabi had fought Gai's students and lost. Now, here she was taking out four, FOUR, enemy ninja like it were no more difficult than running through Konoha. More importantly, she had dropped the last two using nothing more than a single Jūken strike.

It was, well, unbelievable.

"She _is_ skilled," Shino said in a tone colored with poorly concealed admiration. "Naruto is a better teacher than I would have imagined."

"Ya think?" Ino offered weakly, watching as the girl began rooting through the four dead nin's clothes for money. "Lets get down there. I wanna know how the hell she did that."

"Agreed."

Leaping down into the clearing, the two ninja approached Hanabi, who was unconcerned with their presence and undeterred from picking the dead men's pockets. Ino, curious, checked on the two that had been dead when she first arrived. Both were unmarked, as if they had been struck by divine smiting. A quick medical scan told her that the first had died from massive heart failure and the second from multiple brainstem hemorrhage.

"Is there something wrong, Ino-san?" Hanabi asked with chilly, feigned innocence.

Turning, Ino found the young girl standing near a tree, watching her intently. "Fuck yes," she said, meeting her gaze. "I just saw you take out two ninja, obviously Genin but still ninja, with little more than love taps. These two, both Chūnin, appear to have died without a single wound on them. How the hell did you manage that?!"

"I call it Shiro Hasu Dageki."

"That's not what I wanted to know!" Ino snapped. This girl, she wasn't even twelve yet, had wiped out four ninja without breaking stride, much less a sweat. She remembered her own first kill. This couldn't be Hanabi's.

"I, too, would like to know the details of this 'Shiro Hasu Dageki'," Shino added, moving to stand beside Ino.

"The core of the move is based off the three 'death points' from Jūken," Hanabi explained, as if explaining to a toddler. "I merely combined them with the Shunshin and Kashinbiri."

"I am unfamiliar with these 'death points'," Shino said, his tone sharp with attention.

"Not many are. Jūken is not a style designed for outright killing, but rather toward utterly incapacitating the enemy by striking the three hundred and sixty-one Tenketsu found throughout the human body. Though attacking these Tenketsu causes damage to the internal coils of the body and hence the internal organs, these death points are rarely if ever used, even in more advanced Jūken techniques; nor are they spoken of freely by Hyūga." The Hanabi grinned with grim satisfaction. "But I am no longer of the Hyūga."

"Right," Ino said, blinking as her mind raced with the knowledge that Hanabi knew how to instantly kill someone with a touch.

"Striking anyone of these points is called 'Sokushi Dageki'," Hanabi continued, "and striking these points is strictly forbidden among the Hyūga, unless there is no other option. This stems from the belief among the Hyūga that to kill willfully is to damage your soul. With each life you take, you lose a little more of yourself."

"Why are you using them?" Shino asked softly, his voice deceptively neutral.

"Jūken, without the bloodline ability of the Byakugan, is actually not an effective style. Even after my training with Naruto-sensei and the use of the Hakken no Jutsu, Jūken has remained largely useless in my hands. However, after speaking with Naruto-sensei this morning, I realized I still had those three points that I could strike. With his help, I developed the 'Shiro Hasu Dageki' and am quite happy with the results."

"You're happy with the results?" Ino echoed hollowly, staring at the girl and wondering what sort of monster she would grow up to be.

What sort of sensei Naruto was to help her down that path.

"Yes," Hanabi agreed, looking at her but almost through her. "With this, I can be a little more useful to Naruto-sensei and Konoha."

"..."

"Wow," Naruto's voice said from behind them, and Ino turned to find him walking into the clearing with a samurai at his side. "Guess it worked, huh, Hanabi?"

"Quite well," Hanabi agreed, smiling slightly.

"I can't wait to see it in action for myself," Naruto confided, walking over to a body to nudge it with his foot, before glancing at the samurai. "Oi, why don't you introduce yourself and everything."

"Right," the samurai said, straightening up slightly. "I am Bessho Nagaharu, First Officer of Uo-sama's Tenth Legion. I am the l-last one of my unit..." he trailed off into silence, before he salvaged his broken voice. "We were overrun in the initial attack, and attempted fall back to more defensible positions. It proved disastrous as they predicted our route of retreat and prevented us from regrouping. They killed our officers within minutes and picked the rest of us off like wolves pulling strays from a flock of sheep." Nagaharu's tone was hollow with regret and disgust.

"And you're out here why?" Nisei/Shino asked, tone bland as ever.

"Standing orders in case the castle or Edyoto is overrun," Nagharu said. "We're to escape and find any Konoha ninja that we can. After that, we report what we know and then gather the hidden cadres of various elite Samurai located throughout the region and prepare a counter assault to retake the city or castle."

"So, what'cha got for us?" Naruto asked, sounding interested as he paused in stripping an Oto nin of his uniform.

"First, the castle and surrounding city have just enough enemy Samurai and low rank ninja to maintain the status quo. They won't be able to hold off a retaliatory strike without reinforcements. Second, they've kept the Governor and his staff running the city, as they see fit, but they don't have enough force to actually keep them imprisoned."

"Why would they do that?" Hanabi asked, blinking.

"Conquering is easy; the tricky part is ruling what you conquer. If you take over and then kill the people in charge, you must stop your assault and set up a new chain of command," Nisei explained. "Hence, it is standard practice when you capture a city to keep the current ruling party in power, but under your control."

"Ah," Hanabi said, nodding slightly. "I see. So then, how do you do accomplish that?"

"There are a couple methods, actually," Naruto said, taking over the explanation. "Bribery is the easiest one, though, and coercion is the least reliable. People turn on you when they're being forced to do something against their will. Easier to kill and rebuild than to rule with threats and violence."

"In the case of Uo-sama, they captured his family and threatened to kill them and the entire city if he didn't do as they ordered," the samurai interjected curtly, eyes hardening. "They had him order the majority of his men to commit seppuku. As loyal samurai, they obeyed, and I have a duty to avenge them."

"Maybe, but first you need to tell us where they're keeping his family," Naruto countered, tone deceptively friendly. "That way we can rescue them and leave you guys to do…whatever."

"Of course, they are imprisoned in the second inner circle."

"Can you locate it on a map?" Ino asked, rejoining the conversation and reminding herself that they had a mission to perform.

"I already have," Nagaharu said, handing over a scroll. "From what I gathered while trapped in the city, they have an unusual ninja watching over them."

"Goody." Naruto said, taking the scroll, his grin mirrored eerily by a smirking Hanabi.

* * *

****

AN:

Personal note, ffnet seems determined to mess up some of my formatting. It also seems determined to make me quite using html and download some software called Openoffice to fix this. I point blank _refused_ to do so, I have two perfectly good wordprocessors (three if you count Wordpad) why should I download a third one that has constantly given me problems in the past?

So, if you see something that looks wonky, its not me, its ffnet messing with my formatting. Neither I, or my beta, can be held accountable to such things.

::Ranked By Military Strength::

****

Country Ninja

Hi no Kuni: 13,535  
Kaze no Kuni: 13,400  
Tsuchi no Kuni: 13,300  
Kaminari no Kuni: 10,250  
Kusa no Kuni: 10,895  
Mizu no Kuni: 8,000  
Taki no Kuni: 2,567  
Ta no Kuni: 2,000

Remember in the Narutoverse, Ninja are considered the true measure of military strength. However, while this list is number based it can not accurately project the strength of each countries ninja. Kiri ninja are actually superior to Kusa ninja, as are Taki ninja. The Big Five (Konoha-Kumo-Kiri-Suna-Iwa) are all roughly equal in terms of skill and levels, hence the numbers here do more accurately represent their strength compared to each other.

__

::Note on Cannons::

I know some people are going to question the inclusion of cannon in this story, but well, tough. They have electricty, telephones, TV and Movies. At some point such weapons were going to have to develop, and to further support their incluison there is a list below of certain facts/dates that show it should be possible.

The earliest known cannon was invented by Ctesibius of Alexandria, in the 3rd century BC, and used compressed air rather than gunpowder.

The first hand cannon appeared during the 1260 Battle of Ain Jalut.

The first cannon in Europe were used in Iberia, during the 13th century.

The first English cannon were deployed in the Hundred Years' War, at the Battle of Crécy, in 1346.

In the 1593 Siege of Pyongyang, 40,000 Ming troops deployed a variety of cannon to bombard an equally large Japanese army.

Sometime during the Bakumatsu (a period from 1853 to 1867 that saw the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate) wooden cannons came into being. They were made out of oak and used clay cannon balls.

__

::Techniques::

**Name:** Shiro Hasu Dageki [White Lotus Strike]  
Rank: A  
Range: Close  
Type: Attack

By combining Hakken no Jutsu and the Shunshin no Jutsu, Hanabi moves into position to deliever a Sokushi Dageki.

**Name:** Sokushi Dageki [Instant Death Strike]  
Rank: A (Kinjutsu)  
Range: Close  
Type: Attack

Three forbidden points on the body within Juken that cause instanteous death. The reason for their forbidden status is clouded in mystery. According to Most Hyuga it is from a belief that using them destory's a part of ones soul, while Hyuga Hinata claims that it doesn't simply kill the body but the soul as well (hence removing the soul from the rebirth cycle).


	19. Chapter 17: Rescue

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 17:  
-_Rescue_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

__

Hi no Kuni, Region Two, Eastern Half...

Until this moment, Ino had never before appreciated the skill of reading a map while travelling at high speed behind enemy lines. They had for the most part found and followed the river that connected Edyoto to Otafuku Gai, with Naruto using the provided map for reference. He never asked to stop, just pulled it out, scanned it and then put it up while adjusting their route.

Ino bit her lower lip slightly, turning her attention away from Naruto and studying Hanabi. The younger girl had been mildly defensive earlier when Ino had brought up the Shiro Hasu Dageki after they had all taken an Oto uniform as a disguise. Naruto had eventually stepped in and assured Ino that there was no problem with the move.

They had argued briefly over it, mainly because Ino felt a bit uncomfortable with the girl's casual attitude about taking a life. Naruto would hear none of it and ultimately had pointed out, rather forcefully, that Hanabi was _his_ student and that it was none of _her_ business. Ino was more than a little angry about his dismissal of her opinion, but she had let it drop for the moment.

Shaking her head, she pulled ahead, breaking formation to get a preview of what they would be facing. Reaching the edge of the tree line, Ino came to a stop, staring across the open meadow and at the vast city and castle of Edyoto just a few hundred yards away. The others joined her soon enough, Naruto assuming a seated position on the branch while the others landed on the branch beneath them, and Ino sighed. "Edyoto."

"The area immediately around the castle is made up of mansions for high-ranking samurai and court nobles," Nisei added, sounding mildly amused. "Just beyond those are several temples and beyond that a massive market area."

"It appears much larger than I pictured it," Hanabi admitted after a moment.

"Of course, it used to be the seat of power for Hi no Kuni," Ino said, realizing with a snort of amusement shared by the older teammates that they were repeating word for word what her great aunt Tsunade had told them three years ago "The river is a nice place, its got a few nice restaurants and even a nice place to walk along side and think."

"Its also the home of the Ouke no Namida and ghost stories galore," Naruto added, laughing, and was soon joined by Ino. After a few more minutes of openly showing their amusement at the spat of deja vu, they got themselves under control.

"Okay, so how are we going to do this?" Ino asked, crouching on the branch and studying the impressive city.

In response, Naruto produced the map they had been given of the city and scanned it briefly. "Well the prisoners are being kept in the south side of the ninomaru."

"We should first plan an escape route," Nisei suggested and Naruto agreed with a slight nod.

"Well, the castle _is_ in the center of the city but there's a major river running through the districts and alongside it." Naruto said, finger running along the map. "Actually, the river seems to split. Just to the west there's a major split and just to the east a smaller side river-"

"That's the one we took the ferry on." Ino said, glancing at the map, frowning behind her mask. Studying it for a few more minutes, mind racing, she sighed and glanced at Naruto "This really will be déjà vu, won't it?"

"What are you...oh," Naruto said, blinking as he realized what she meant. "Yeah, it will be. That settles it: We got how we're getting outta here figured out-"

"Now we just gotta figure out who goes where," Ino said, tugging at the mask over her nose, uncomfortable with the getup. How did the Hokage ever get used to this stupid thing "I think I should go with Naruto-kun to the castle, while you two go get the ferry ready for us."

"Peraphs I should go with sensei instead," Hanabi said, her tone smug, "to avoid undo distraction."

Ino nearly fell over at that, her cheeks heating up at the implication. Naruto shifted slightly, glancing at her which only made Ino blush even more. Kami, why did the girl have to say that? She was too embarrassed to get angry. As if they would really get distracted in this situation, especially since they weren't even together.

"Hanabi-san, it is your youth that makes you say such things," Nisei intoned seriously. "Ino made a very sound suggestion and, furthermore, as they are not in a relationship together, they would not be tempted into such frivolity."

"Of course," Hanabi said, sounding slightly confused. "I'm sorry."

"Well!" Naruto said loudly, getting up quickly to change the subject "Lets get the show on the road! Me and Ino-chan will go get the hostages and you guys get the ferry."

"Right!" Hanabi agreed, moving alongside Nisei through the branches and to the ground.

"Oh and, Nisei, be careful, Hanabi's on the prowl for some lovin'," Naruto added sweetly. Hanabi nearly slipped and cracked her head open. The girl recovered deftly enough, glared at him and then kept going.

"Naruto," Ino said with a note of amusement, shaking her head when he looked at her. Realizing this was the best chance, she decided to tell Naruto about Nisei, but had barely opened her mouth when he interrupted her.

"He's Shino ain't he?" Naruto blurted.

"Uh, yeah," Ino agreed, surprised at his lack of surprise or emotion. "When'd you figure it out?"

"When I felt a bug bite me a couple dozen times," Naruto said, motioning for her to follow him to the ground. "Come on, we can talk about having a reunion with the bugger after we're done."

* * *

__

Miyako, Capital of the Kusa Empire, private battlement of Daimyo Hittori within Kirin Castle

Utagaibukai Hittori, Daimyo of Kusa, was in a foul mood. A Tsuchi ambassador had arrived early that morning, demanding the Okugi Fuin: Kyou Chuugi Oyobi Juujun be handed over as agreed. Hittori had managed to delay that, if only temporarily, as he could not go back on an agreement with a Kage power such as Tsuchi no Kuni.

Of course that was not his only problem; he had attended a war meeting with his generals and discovered that another difficulty came from the east. More accurately, Orochimaru's little village was picking a fight with Hi no Kuni. That would pull the massive country into the war sooner than he had anticipated. Messengers dispatched to tell Orochimaru to withdraw had not returned.

The only course of action left to him was to accelerate his timetable.

A soft breeze rose up and across the battlement of the dojin and ruffled his hair, prompting the daimyo to let out a breath and savor the feeling. How different Miyako was to the old capital. There was a freshness that rode on the wind, a feeling of life that filled the air he breathed. His concerns fell away and absently his fingers touched the hilt of his sword Baku, savoring the secret history of his trusted companion.

Baku, named after the creature that was said to devour ominous nightmares, had been in his family for generations. It had been at his ancestors side when they first came to power. For every famous or important family member, it had been at their side. Baku was not just a sword, not just a good luck talisman, it gifted the bearer with clairvoyant dreams. Beautiful dreams. Triumphant dreams.

Such was the carefully guarded secret behind the blade, one that Hittori had learned at the knee of his grandfather. His father had never known, which was why the man had merely put it on display like any ordinary heirloom bauble. Not that Baku was always clear with what it told him, nor did it always tell him important things, but it was undoubtedly a priceless treasure.

Pulling himself out of his memories and the joy of owning such a sword, he smiled genially at his Sazuko, who sat nearby on one of the carefully placed cushions, lost in her private world. The former Kumo ANBU was stunning, a jewel among bedrock. Generally, those kuniochi that lived long were plain or battle scared, yet Sazuko was flawless save for her tattoo. Studying her idly, warmed by the thought of her, he recalled winning her away from her fiancé and convincing her to abandon her village for him. A testamony to his skill in persuasion, no doubt, as Sazuko had been the most loyal of Kumo ANBU at the time.

"Would you care for tea?" Sazuko said softly, pulling him from his thoughts once more. Hittori paused, then nodded, accepting the cup with a small smile, which was returned and then both turned to the sky to watch the sunrise. In the distance, birds began to stir and sing, ushering in a new day. So majestic that he completely forgot about all of his concerns.

"It is so beautiful," Sazuko said after a moment, her voice tender. "It is always a joy to see it with you."

"Yes," Hittori said.

Both sat in silent contentment, sipping their tea, until the sun had risen just above the horizon. A polite summons came from the heavy iron bound door leading up to the battlements. Looking up, he sighed, setting his tea aside, then prepared himself for the task ahead. "Yes?"

The door opened carefully and one of his many samurai appeared, bowing respectfully. "Please excuse me, Sire, you're brother Noga-sama has arrived below and is courteously requesting permission to see you."

"Ah, good. Bring him and then return to your post," Hittori said. Once the messenger had departed, he glanced at Sazuko. She nodded, bowed low, forehead to hands, and then climbed to her feet and swept off the battlement, leaving him alone.

A moment later the door swung inward, allowing Utagaibukai Noga, dressed as always in the typical dark ninja outfit and a dark green hip length Haori, to stride arrogantly onto the battlement. The younger man paused, eyes cold as ever, then settled himself onto a cushion furthest away from him.

Both brothers were silent for several long minutes, Hittori sipping his tea and Noga watching him like a viper. Finally, Hittori set his cup aside. "Its nice to see you again, Noga. I trust you slept well."

"I slept fine," Noga said curtly. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Very well," Hittori said, dropping the pleasantry and coming to the point. "I want to know how you could let Tsuchi no Kuni find out about the seal. I want to know how you could be so stupidly foolish as to allow such a leak to exist. I want to know if you've found the source of the leak and, most importantly, I want to know if you could produce an altered seal this afternoon."

"I would be careful how you talk to me," Noga said coolly. "Until my mother's out of your grasp, you're safe. Only until then. A long pause. As for how they found out, it was a spy. I had the leak silenced and contacted Akatsuki through the usual means. They have provided a low-ranking member to help ensure security."

"Silenced the leak? You had them killed?" Hittori asked, disappointed.

"What else would you have me do, _brother_?" Noga growled snidely. He leaked information. I stopped it. End of story."

"You wasted a perfect chance, you fool!" Hittori exclaimed with open contempt. "If we know who the spy is, then we can feed the mole false information and thus lure our enemies into a trap."

There was a moment of silence before Noga snorted and muttered a brief dismissive sound.

Reeling in his temper, Hittori studied his brother intently for a moment, sipping at his tea to wash the foul taste of the failure away. "Can you produce an altered seal this afternoon?"

"Depending upon what the alteration is that you want," Noga said sourly. "It is a very complicated seal."

"Very well, this is for the seal we'll be giving to Tsuchi no kuni," Hittori said, fist on his thigh. "I would like for you to add a secondary command that will override the first. One that will be hidden but allow me to assert control at any time I desire."

"That will be difficult," Noga admitted with a scowl, "but I believe I can do it this afternoon before I leave. I assume you'll want me to apply one to the 'ambassador' that's lurking around here before I leave."

"Yes."

"I find this all very disgusting," Noga said with ill humor. "Politics and backdoor deals. We should use our strength to crush them. That is the only way to attain power and our right to rule. It is the only method that karma and the gods approve of!"

"You have learned nothing from the previous wars, nothing at all. Strength alone is not enough. Yes, with each passing day our power grows. However, it would be nothing in the face of an open war with any _one_ of the Great Five," Hittori said, shaking his head in disgust. "You are a brutal and short-sighted man, Noga. Blind to the facts and reality. Countless others have attempted to bend this world to their will with only iron and strength, but they have failed."

"Because they did not know how to use it!" Noga asserted firmly. "We could do it: **I **could do it."

"Fool, let us say that we did magically conquer Tsuchi, Kaminari, Oto, Taki and Mizu. That leaves Hi no Kuni, and they will not fall to strength alone. They have fought all the others and held. They defeated the fanatical Tsuchi no Kuni alone, without aide. Strength alone is not enough, not against them. They are not to be taken lightly, especially since Unity refuses to use the seal 'Okugi Fuin: Kyou Chuugi oyobi Juujun' on a regular basis."

"Bah, no matter how strong or paranoid, we can crush them!"

"Not yet, in this war we cannot rush. We must be patient. We must use every tool at our disposal if we are to succeed."

* * *

Naruto grimaced behind his mask as he and Ino passed the two gate guards with a nod, crossing the bridge over a moat that was easily ten feet beneath them and twenty across. Just being this close to Oto ninja made him edgy, and it didn't help that he hated this sort of mission. He would much rather be fighting and sowing as much chaos as humanly possible. He grinned, but then soon sobered. As a future Hokage, he couldn't ignore a mission of this magnitude. Even if he didn't like it, he would execute it to the best of his abilities.

Following the road that wound its way south-west through the sannomaru, they travelled in silence, mostly because they were noting as much as they could about their enemy, but also because Ino was upset with him. Over what, he had no clue, but he knew she was upset. He was dim but not stupid, after all.

"Gotta hand it to you," Ino muttered after a moment. "Using these uniforms to sneak in is working out pretty good."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, glancing at her. "Lets just hope it stays that way, though I'd love to start fighting."

"Brute," Ino teased playfully. "Listen, about earlier with Hana-"

"Its nothing you need to worry about." Naruto said firmly.

Ino turned her attention back ahead with a small snort of annoyance.

Great, just great, what had he said to piss her off now? Shaking his head, he put such thoughts aside and instead focused on the upcoming task of entering the ninomaru, which would no doubt prove much more difficult to slip through.

The path curved around, and eventually delivered them to another gate set in another wall, where an Oto ninja and samurai lounged almost casually on either side. Approaching casually, eying both and his relative position to them, Naruto stopped a few steps away as the Oto ninja focused his eyes on them and the samurai rested one hand on the hilt of his sword. Ino shifted her weight as she stopped next to him, crossing her arms as she glanced between the two.

"Papers?" the ninja asked, focusing on Naruto.

"Such a warm welcome," Ino said, her voice hard, glancing at the man and then the samurai before addressing Naruto "still, at least this one is doing his job. Not like those two idiots at that first gate, they just let us in."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, wondering what Ino was playing at. They had no papers, that much was obvious, so she was trying to bluff them, but he doubted they could pull it off. He decided to try her tact regardless. "So, you gonna move or what?"

"Uhh," the Oto ninja managed, taken back. "I can't, I need to see you're pap-" but Ino plowed over him, her voice hard as ever and ringing with no small amount of authority.

"Listen, I'm Takuron and this is Gussuri. We're here, under direct orders of Orochimaru-sama to move the prisoners to a more secure location. There is a team of very dangerous Konoha ninja on their way here and we have to be quick."

"I'm not, I mean, my orders-"

"You want to be the one to tell Orochimaru-sama that the reason we lost control over the city was because _you_ kept us standing here, twiddling our damn thumbs instead of doing our jobs?" Naruto snapped, voice dark and a far from subtle killer intent radiating.

"N-no," the ninja managed, gulping as he looked uncertainly between them and then at the equally nervous samurai.

"Then let us through," Ino added firmly, her own murderous intent joining his. "Now."

"W-ell, its just that," the man managed, eyes widening in panic. "T-there was already a team here! To move the prisoners. Under orders of Kabuto-sama."

"...Wha?" Ino stuttered, glancing at Naruto.

Naruto scowled vehemently, fixing the man with an intense gaze. His mind was racing ahead, knowing that their careful plans were shredded. So much for a simple rescue attempt. This was salvageable, or at least he thought it was, and he devised a new plot without hesitation, hoping he didn't fuck things up too badly. "Takuron, make sure that the governor doesn't get any bright ideas now that these idiots let the prisoners escape," Naruto said levelly. "Then meet me at the first gate. We'll go find the imposters afterward."

"Of course!" Ino said after a moments hesitation and then pushed past the two startled and worried gate guards.

Naruto was left alone with the two terrified men as his murderous killing intent flared to new heights.

* * *

Reclining in her seat, Anko kicked her feet on the table and sighed, walking a throwing dart along her fingers. Across from her sat Koinu and Hizashi, who were absorbed in a silent conversation, while Tenzou sat to the far left, seeming as bland as ever. Most interesting was Tenten, who kept fidgeting on the other side of Anko, obviously taken aback by attending her first meeting.

"Nervous?" Anko asked after a few more minutes, glancing at the girl with an arched eyebrow. We don't bite. Well, I do, but that's beside the point."

"Eh?" Tenten managed, looking at her like a startled deer "I-I, this is just, well, overwhelming."

"You get used to it," Anko said, walking the dart from finger to finger without looking. "How's the Military Police handling the transition?"

"It was a bit rough, right after-" Tenten paused for a brief moment before continuing. "Things are settling now. I'm the only one that's overwhelmed. I never realized just how much work there was in running that place."

"You think you have it bad?" Anko said, jerking her head slightly at Tenzou. "He's ANBU Commander, he's doing the equivalent of your job and Koinu's job all at once."

"Wow," Tenten breathed, then paused staring at her. "Not to seem rude, uh, Anko-sama, but what exactly is your job?"

"I torture high-level ninja," Anko offered with a sadistic grin. "Well, actually, this will be my last week doing that. After this, I'll be a field commander or something. Thank the kami for the war, cause I was getting bored as hell."

"..."

"So, who wants to go first," Kakashi's voice interrupted any further conversation as he entered the room.

"Preliminary field reports indicate that Oto isn't making any further moves," Koinu said, taking the challenge. "We've got about two regiments worth of ninja patrolling Region Two's borders now, total lock down. Logically, they're not going to rush ahead just yet. Our men will have to tighten their control over the area."

"Do we have any word from Asuma or Gai? They were the first teams in the area," Kakashi asked, leaning forward slightly, eye narrowing.

"Gai-san's team came out whole," Hizashi offered, scowling slightly, "but Asuma-san's team was wiped out. He managed to make it back, but that doesn't help much. Right now, he's coordinating our forces in the field while the Daimyo moves more troops forward to make a concentrated push for reclaiming the region."

"I see, how many and how long will that take?"

"Easily a division," Koinu said with a heavy sigh, "and it should take about three weeks to get them all organized."

"Before that, we still have the matter of those mysterious weapons that Oto employed," Hizashi said, glancing at Tenzou, who stared back for a moment before getting the hint.

"Reports from our teams in the area indicate that those mysterious tubes are called cannons. Other than that, we're not sure. Oto is keeping them under an extremely tight watch. The arrows are just that, arrows with specially designed seals on the arrowheads."

"I take it we're trying to make our own," Tenten said, blinking in surprise at everyones attention and blushing slightly. "Uh, sorry-"

"For what? You asked a very valid question," Kakashi said, eye curving up happily before he focused on Tenzou once more "Well?"

"Yes, we are. We're also rushing a few of our own weapons to the lines," Tenzou said. "Also, Intel indicates that Oto has an ally, but its not yet clear who."

"I see. Keep looking. Anyone else have anything? Tenten, Anko?"

"No, Hokage-sama," Tenten said meekly, very self-conscious.

"Nope!" Anko chimed in, before shooting him a dark look, making it clear that there was no news from Naruto and that she was not happy. "There's nothing else."

"Aha, well no news is good news, right?" Kakashi asked, a nervous tic in his eye and his tone higher pitch than was seemly for a village leader.

* * *

Hanabi felt oddly out of place, not that anyone gave her more than a cursory glance. There was no denying that she was the smallest Oto nin that she had spotted and she was looking very hard. Her current partner Nisei didn't appear interested, but she knew by now that appearances could be deceiving. Still, she wondered why nobody paid her attention. Not only was she short, but the uniform she wore did not fit. Attention drifting, she bumped into someone a moment later, and found herself staring at a disgruntled Oto ninja.

"Watch where youre going," the man said, then paused and stared at her intently. "Who are you?"

"My subordinate," Nisei said, his tone cold and threatening.

"Heh, well tell the little bitch to pay attention to where she's walking." the nin said sourly and then with a withering glare moved on, leaving Hanabi utterly confused.

Looking at Nisei, she started to ask what had just happened, but he provided the answer without prompting.

"Oto ninja are aggressive, but they are not stupid. If they are presented with someone they perceive to have authority, they give way. This uniform has a slightly different coloration in the collar, which denotes a captain's status within Oto."

"Ah," Hanabi said in understanding, "so because I'm with you, nobody will question my stature or the state of my uniform."

"Exactly," Nisei said with a nod as they continued on toward the docks. "This is a fatal flaw with Orochimaru's uniform. His idea no doubt was to create a single look so as to make it more difficult to hide among his troops and to create a sense of community among his forces. However, with these full face masks, he makes it that much easier for enemies to sneak into his forces unnoticed."

"...you're no ordinary ninja," Hanabi said after a moment, mind seeking the answer to the problem. He knew a lot, he spoke differently than anyone she had yet to encounter, with a casual yet precise manner. She associated the way he carried himself with mannerisms similar to Ino and Naruto, whom she knew to be the highest caliber fighters. He was more aware and attentive than he first appeared.

"No, I'm not."

Hanabi didn't answer, and set the mystery of Nisei aside for a moment. She would ask Naruto later about the man, as he would undoubtedly know more than she did. Turning back to her personal world, she mused silently about the insight she had gained concerning perception and its flaws.

The trick, Hanabi realized, was not accepting the surface appearance of things. Instead, one needed to look underneath the underneath and find the hidden truth. Like her own actions and the fact that she had hesitated for a split second in the clearing yesterday. The surface interpretation was that her hesitation came from her softness, from her youth.

The truth beneath that was far more complicated. She had hesitated because she had been raised with the belief hammered into her head not to use the death points. Hanabi had hesitated for no other reason than she had been afraid of taking a life through such means, and what the ultimate price would be for such murder.

She was just that, a murderer. No different than the ones that ended up in prison, other than she killed approved targets for her country and for self-defense, rather than killing in passion or random pleasure. Looking even deeper, her country killed for power and money as often as self-defense, as many a common murderer did. It was only on the surface that she appeared any different; it was only the comforting lie that her actions were guided toward good ends.

With a heavy sigh, Hanabi decided that she would rather trust Naruto and believe that there was more to this, more to them, more to their village than murder. Believe that they were better. There was no other way to live for her, for any ninja, other than to kill when the one you trusted said it needed to be done. For peace. For security. For what you held dear.

All for the hope that one day, the killing could stop.

* * *

They moved swiftly through the dark alleys, stopping only rarely to knock a code - given to Ino by Uo - against a door or to ensure that there were no enemies ahead. Eventually, they made it through the maze of streets and alleys to the small house in district three of Edyoto, where the governors family was being held. Crouching in the shadows from a nearby house, they both watched and waited.

Yamanaka Ino felt her teammate shift slightly to get comfortable before speaking in a soft whisper, "That's it. All the hidden samurai know. We can move as soon as we feel like it."

"Good," Ino said, frowning behind her mask. It appeared no different than any other house. There were no guards. It seemed almost too normal. Ino knew better, those two ninja were around. She was sure of it. Plus the original unusual ninja that had acted as the first guard, though it appeared to be just a shinin from the governors description earlier.

"You know, I'm not too sure about this idea," Naruto said, glancing at her with a raised eyebrow. "Even if we get his family out of here and even if the samurai retake the castle, we can't stick around to help fight off those two ninja."

"I know," Ino agreed with a tiny nod. "I tried explaining that to him but the governor was insistent. I doubt he realizes what he's getting into. These guys won't just be random Oto ninja."

"Best we can do is wound them bad enough to make it more hassle than its worth at the moment to fight," Naruto said before heaving a sigh. "So, we hit the house hard and fast. Get them out and to the boat, and then we leave Edyoto to fate."

"Yeah," a beat, "but at least you finally get to fight."

"Yeah," Naurto agreed and Ino heard the grin in his voice. "You wanna take the back way and meet in the middle or just go in together from the front?"

"No point in trying to get fancy, we'll just go in head on," Ino decided, feeling a shiver of fear run along her spine. It wasn't so much that she would soon be in a fight for her life, or that she faced death, but more that she would survive and someone would die. She'd loose someone because she hadn't been fast enough, or good enough.

"You know, times like this I really wish I wasn't a ninja," Ino muttered, resisting the urge to touch the genjutsu-hidden sword on her back. Feeling his curious look, she continued. "The stress. What if I lose? What if I win, but a comrade or a friend dies? What if I hesitate?"

"You really feel all that in a fight?" Naruto asked, startled, staring at her.

"You don't?"

"Nah, for me, when I'm fighting everything falls away. Nothing else exists, other than the fact that I'm going to win and they're going lose."

"Must be nice," Ino offered, wondering at such a concept. Everyone, on some level, felt some form of stress during battle or some fear. Naruto seemed to lack that, like he only existed to fight.

"Not really," Naruto said softly. "When you win, someone important tends to lose."

"Naruto," Ino whispered, studying his posture as best she could.

His guilt went unspoken, but his body screamed it, his soul was steeped in it.

Ino felt a stab of sympathy. Then she hid it behind her professionalism, as did he, and both focused on the house and the task at hand. The rescue would start at sunset. By the end of the day, either Edyoto would remain under Oto control or it was in revolt.

An hour passed, then another, and the sun began to set. They moved.

Ino darted forward first, making it to the house under Naruto's watchful eyes, and then pressed against the side of the door, motioned for him. He was there in an instant, employing the Shunshin as casually as any elementary jutsu. When she glanced at him, he shrugged, nodding curtly at the door. Ino drew her sword and opened the door. Naruto entered first, crouching with a kunai in hand.

"Clear," he said just loud enough for her to hear, and Ino followed, hand now holding the sword she had kept hidden.

Sweeping the left side of the room, while Naruto swept the right, a terrible apprehension swept over her.

This was far too easy.

"Trap," Naruto said quietly, voicing her suspicions.

Yes, there was no doubt that this whole thing was a trap, but they couldn't pull out now. They pressed on, Naruto sliding the next door open cautiously and then seeing an empty hallway. He entered, followed by Ino. Naruto led the way down the short hallway; the first two doors stood open, revealing a pair of empty rooms.

"Stay here," Naruto said, glancing at her. Pointing at himself, he motioned that he was going to check the next room alone.

Ino wanted to protest, but knew the logic behind such a decision and instead nodded curtly.

Naruto gave her a wink and then turning moved quickly toward the next room, where he paused as the knob refused to turn. Crouching, Naurto fumbled through the uniform he wore, producing a small black bundle. He selected a tool and Ino watched as he picked a lock in just a few seconds.

Impressive, not many ninja actually bothered to learn that skill, depending too much on other ninjutsu.

Done, he put his bundle up. With a glance at her, he picked up his kunai and eased the door open. He paused as light spilled over him and then he motioned her closer while talking to the occupant of the room, "Anyone here order a rescue?"

Reaching him, Ino peeked inside and found two young girls and an attractive middle-aged woman. Seeing their unease, Ino tapped him on the shoulder before letting some humor enter her voice. "I think you better tell 'em were from Konoha and that Uo-sama wants us to get 'em outta here."

"Oh right," Naruto said, repeating her message, and then added. "Oh, Mi-chan, Uo told Ino-chan to tell me to tell you, 'I like the red'."

"He...wait...oh!" The older woman said, her face turning an interesting shade of red before grabbing her still scared daughters. "C-come on Issou, Idou, we're going with these nice ninja."

Ino fell back to take point, with the three behind her, and Naruto brought up the rear. They probably only had minutes before they were ambushed, and it would be better to have it in the street than in this place.

They made it to the street quickly and without preamble, breaking into a quick run trying to put as much room as they could between them and the house. The three former prisoners had a little trouble, but both ninja made sure that nobody fell behind. Still, the longer they went without encountering difficulty, the more Ino worried.

Reaching a pre-designated safe point, the five took a breather. Rather, the governors family did while Ino and Naurto kept watch, before they set out again, this time at a fast walk rather than a run. Half an hour later, Ino felt the spike of chakra and dodged back just as the air rippled and a section of the building they were passing by crumbled.

"Shit!" Naruto shouted, a burst of wind cutting down the offending Oto ninja effortlessly. Then forming the seal he created several Kage Bunshin which he directed to grab one of their charges. "Get them to the extraction point ASAP!"

"Right!" The Kage Bunshin chorused and then took off, but no sooner where they gone than the sound of someone clapping filled the street behind them.

Turning, Ino readied herself for a fight while sizing her opponents up; namely, the woman with red hair, glasses, hot pants and a zip-up shirt that showed her stomach. Ino hated her already and then she spotted her partner; a pale, gray-haired man wearing purple lipstick and a necklace of large beads, and sporting an extra head that was jutting from his back.

"As rescue attempts go-" the woman said, but was promptly cut off as Naruto embedded a kunai in the head of a nameless Oto ninja that had just arrived.

This was followed by said kunai exploding, hence splattering the woman with gore, which made Ino grin more than it should have.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" The woman screeched, a sudden spike in killer intent filling the area.

"Evening the odds," Naruto responded, then darted forward, a shoulder slamming into the woman's chest and sending her flying. He was wide open and her partner moved to attack, but Ino cut him off with a Shunshin-kick combo that sent the freak flipping backward. There was a beat and then Ino darted after him, leaving Naruto to his fight.

Ino closed the gap quickly, a punch aimed at his face, only to have her opponent duck and catch her arm. She tried to shift her weight and angle of her arm, but the man used his greater strength to pivot and hip-throw her. Ino adjusted to the unexpected throw smoothly enough, twisting her body around in time to get her feet in position to rebound from it and land with a skid in the open street.

Much as she hated Anko, she had to offer reluctant thanks for the measures she had gone through during the ANBU Training. Hand drifting toward the hilt of her sword, Ino was almost caught unprepared by the sudden charge of her annoyed looking opponent. Hand coming down sharply, she blocked his punch with a knife-hand low block, then shifted to throw a backfist-

-only to have a kick connect with her stomach and send her sailing back. Recovering, Ino blocked a downward punch that could have caved her skull in from the feel of it, and tried to follow up with her own hook punch. A second later though, a hand extended from his _chest_ to catch her blow an inch from impact and held it.

"You've got a bit more skill than most trash I've faced lately," the man sneered, dark marks creeping over his flesh like a growth of bacteria. He smirked arrogantly at her open disgust and gifted her with a punishing right cross to her mouth. "But still you're only trash!"

Ino moved further than the blow had called for, buying time to recover and figure out what had just happened. Ignoring the busted lip and the coppery taste of her own blood, she studied the oddly marked man; speed and strength, plus that odd ability to sprout limbs from parts of his body. Yeah, just the sort of freak that would work for Orochimaru and would let his body be corrupted by a cursed seal.

Fingers coming up, she soon had reliable backup in the form of a Kage Bunshin, wanting to see how the man would handle this challenge. Charging forward, with the Kage Bunshin in tow, Ino unsheathed her sword and made a diagonally slash in the same motion. The man dodged that, and the follow up horizontal slash aimed at his chest, allowing the copy of Ino to get the drop on him from behind.

At least that was the plan, until two new arms sprouted from the man's shoulder blades, catching the Kage Bunshin's sword in an X-block, followed by a sharp kick from a foot that sprouted from his spine, dispelling it. Ino faltered for a moment, disturbed by the way that man seemed able to sprout limbs from every part of his body. Even for a Cursed Seal freak, that seemed a bit extreme, especially as he seemed to manage it without any need to focus. It seemed like instinct.

"I see you've met my older brother Ukon, the man explained, his grin widening. He normally sleeps inside me, but he wakes up to help me out from time to time."

"Sleeps inside you?" Ino echoed, fumbling with the concept.

"He can extend his hands and legs from any part of my body," the man bragged, while his flesh rippled and then in a sickening display his face split away and took the shape of a new version on his right shoulder.

Ino's stomach roiled sickeningly, mentally protesting that such a thing should not be physically possible. She was startled out of her private thoughts by the dual voices of the two brothers.

"How does it feel, trash, to know that you are completely outclassed?!"

"I'm sorry. Are you under the delusion that I should be impressed?" Ino said casually, mastering her revulsion while sliding her left foot back and lifting her sword into a vertical ready position near her shoulder. "I'm not. My name is Yamanaka Ino, the Hitokiri of Konoha, teammate to the next Hokage. I've fought your kind before. Trust me, you're display of 'brotherly togetherness' does not impress me."

The twins smiled condescendingly and attacked with a flurry of kunai strikes, leaving Ino hard pressed to defend against the battery. While she could probably out-fight the bastard, the longer they fought the lower her teams chances for a successful mission. She had a few tricks up her sleeves. She would use them sooner rather than later.

Jumping back and up from a leg sweep, she used a single hand to form the seals needed to unleash the Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu.

The man retreated quickly, hurling curses at her, but Ino ignored them. No sooner had her feet touched the ground, than Ino formed and used the C-rank, ANBU-exclusive genjutsu called 'Sakuran no Jutsu'. It wouldn't do much more than pull the man's attention away from her by making him think he caught movement in the corner of his eye. His brother would be unaffected, but Ino had her next step in motion before things got that far. She ensnared the distracted brother with a Shinranshin no Jutsu.

"Sakon-STOP!" Ukon shouted, using both of his hands to stop his brothers, which were seeking to plunge kunai into his throat.

"I can't!" Sakon shouted back, struggling to kill his brother against his will.

With both suitable distracted, Ino launched into the last stage of her attack; namely, a Shunshin no Jutsu to trip both up as her mental attack released, which fed right into a Senkouken aimed at their chest. Ukon reacted quickest, grabbing the blade with an arm that suddenly sprouted from the chest in question, only to have his hand slashed in half.

Ino barely spared the gruesome sight notice. Ukon screamed in shock and Sakon lashed out. She ducked and crouched in one motion, left leg bending inward and her right outward. She spun while holding her sword diagonally behind her. Coming around in one smooth motion, she took out both an arm and nearly took off one of the heads when they dodged at the last second, resulting in Ukon's throat being sliced.

Disappointed, but not terribly so, Ino continued her spin and adopted another ready position with the bloody sword held horizontally near her cheek, blade up and tip pointed at the Oto ninja.

"Now who's the trash, bitch?"

* * *

__

Akatsuki Headquaters, former captial of Ame no Kuni

Eyes closed the leader of the most dangerous criminal orginzation let out a deep sigh of frustration. Zetsu had still not found Hidan, which frustrated Pain to no end. Without knowledge of the religious fanatic's location or status, he hesitated to even think of calling the others, but it could not keep much longer. If they continued with such setbacks, he would be forced to take matters into his own hands.

Opening his eyes, he stared at the far wall of the building, still disappointed with Kakuzu and his continued failure to relocate the Sanbi Jinchuriki. The man had been a bounty hunter for numerous decades. He should have been able to find the host. After the third fruitless report, Pain had decided to reassign him to collect bounties for Akatsuki to aid the filling of their coffers. Still, he would have to do something about the Sanbi Jinchuriki. Eventually.

Resigned to tempting fate, he formed the needed hand seal: "Assemble."

A moment later, with a barely noticeable ripple and a soft hiss, several distorted images appeared in the hall. The expected six, plus the ever elusive Hidan and the newest member Uchijini Tenbatsu, the second person from the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu to join them. Lowering his hands, Pain stared at Hidan's image for a protracted moment before speaking. "Where have you been?"

_"I was answering the call of Jashin," _came the curt response. _"Unlike you fuckers, I have higher goals, those of Jashin."_

_"Jashin is just a feeble excuse for pointless murder,"_ Konan snapped irritably. _"Pain is the only true god."_

_"Keep your preaching to yourself,"_ Hidan shot back. _"Just cause you two are fuc-"_

"Enough," Pain said with such finality that both fell into an abrupt silence. Glancing between them, aware of the reproach in Konan's eyes, he mastered his urge to kill Hidan and save himself a lot of trouble. Instead he turned the meeting toward a more productive end, capturing at least one Jinchuriki so that they could move forward with their plans. "I called you together to see where you each stand. We have sealed only _two_ of the nine Jinchuriki, and captured the Roku, leaving us with six still at large."

_"I still don't get why _we_ need them," _Tenbatsu said, glancing around. _"I mean, what exactly is the whole purpose of 'Akatsuki'?"_

"We need the Bijuu as they serve the purpose of Akatsuki," Pain explained, closing his eyes as memories and images passed before his mind. It was time to give the 'speech', the lie that he had told to each member outside of two. "Our ultimate goal will be completed in three steps; first, we will gain as much money as we can. This will help in the second step, along with the acquiring of the bijuu, where we establish the worlds first truly mercenary force."

_"So we become a hidden village?" _Tenbatsu asked skeptically.

"No, we become something else. Shinobi villages make money for their country, we make money for ourselves. Without a country allegiance, we will undercut all the established villages, hence the importance of the first step. Using the bijuu, we can create new battles and new wars and eventually topple the Great Five. Once we become the sole military force, then step three can be achieved, world domination."

_"So, all of this,"_ Tenabtsu said after a moment, taken with the idea, _"is to control the world?"_

"Yes," Pain said, knowing that the true goal was far darker and complicated. Konan met his gaze, a silent understanding passing between them and Tobi remained unusually quiet for several moments. Nobody seemed to notice in the oppressive atmosphere, which was handy for Pain to turn his mind from the lie and toward moving them all one step closer to the end. "Kakuzu, Hidan, how long would it take for you to join up and reach Suna?"

_"I'm in Kusa right now,"_ Kakuzu said sourly, glancing at Hidan who seemed less than happy as well.

"Hidan?"

__

"I'm in Suna."

"Good, when you two partner back up, I want you to capture the Ichibi. We cannot seal the Rokubi until we've sealed him. Zetsu, Tenbatsu I want you to locate the Sanbi," Pain paused, glancing at Itachi, before addressing Kisame. "How much closer are you to the Yonbi?"

_"At least three days behind him,"_ the large man said carelessly, _"maybe two. He's craftier than I thought, but it won't help him now. After were done here, it shouldn't take more than a week to capture him."_

"Good," Pain said, before looking at Konan and Tobi. "Daimyo Hittori has asked for our help. Feel free to go ahead with your mission now, the sooner the better according to him. After that, begin your hunt for the Nibi."

_"As you command,"_ Konan said, meeting his eyes in silent assurance that things would be done and they would be free from this abyss called life.

Silence followed as they each shimmered from view, leaving Pain alone to ponder the world. Closing his eyes, he studied the past and path that had brought him here, to this point. There seemed to be some unseen hand moving, upsetting his plans, but as God, Pain could overcome that unseen force and the world would cry out as it experienced the Path of Pain.

Opening his eyes, he stared at the far wall of the temple and at the mosaic of the long forgotten god. "Are you still slumbering in your house, dreaming?"

* * *

Besshu Nisei, formerly Aburame Shino, stared at the city in silent contemplation. Not about Naruto and Ino, they were a bit overdue, but he wasn't worried as they were both powerful ninja. It was the city itself, the memories it gave him, and the oddity of being placed back into the same team as he had been three years ago.

Naruto seemed not much different. He was still unstable and wild, but staunch and reliable. He would get the job done, and done well. Ino had changed the most. She'd grown somber and serious. The two of them were undoubtedly a good balance, Ino would keep Naruto grounded and he would in turn help her feel normal. Happy even.

He allowed a tiny smile behind his mask, then sighed and carefully regarded the girl on the boat beside him. Hanabi, talented beyond a doubt, a fearsome foe for one so young. Destined to crumble and break, he could see it clear as he could see the sky. She was too young and had already stained her hands with blood.

Her entire focus was Naruto, or so was the impression he had garnered. The way she spoke about Naruto, the way she didn't hesitate to kill those earlier ninja even though Naruto had only implied his desire. The look Hanabi had given Ino when she had tried to argue with Naruto over Hanabi's new technique.

He turned away from such thoughts as his bugs registered the approach of Naurto's Kage Bunshin. A moment later he detected the rapid approach of a group of five chakra signatures, one of which seemed odd compared to the others. He frowned ever so slightly behind his mask, weighing what this meant in his mind before realizing he had to arrange things quickly.

"Hanabi-san, we have incoming," Nisei said. "At least three Kage Bunshin from Naruto, followed by five pursuers. One seems very unusal-"

"Is it a Shinin?" Hanabi asked curtly, moving to stand beside him.

"A Shinin?"

"Never mind," Hanabi said shaking her head. "If it has ice blue eyes, it's a Shinin. Destroy the head, as they are otherwise quite resilient. That is what sensei told me."

"I see," Nisei said softly, making a note to ask for more information later. "I can handle the Shinin and at least two others. The Kage Bunshin are on their last legs, so they may not last much longer, which leaves you with two Chūnin level oppoents."

"Leave them to me," Hanabi replied softly.

A moment later, two Kage Bunshin appeared, one with a young girl under each arm and the other with a woman tossed over his shoulder. Just as Nisei began to wonder about the missing Kage Bunshin, he felt a spike of chakra, followed by a building collapsing behind them. Hanabi was on the move before Nisei, a blur of motion as she intercepted two of the Oto ninja that had pulled ahead.

Before Nisei could offer help, another two came bounding into the area, aiming for the still fleeing Kage Bunshin. Nisei didn't waste another moment, entering the fray, sending one flying and managing to knock the other off its trajectory. Landing, he quickly tried to determine which one was the Shinin.

His family alerting him. Nisei dodged just as the first Oto-nin he had attacked returned with a punishing blow. Coming around, Nisei lashed out without looking and caught the second one with a hammer fist that snapped the nin to the left hard. The first had charged in that moment, but Nisei responded by side-stepping the attack and slamming a round kick into its stomach.

Neither one of these seemed to be giving off the unusual sensation, which meant the Shinin had either been taken care of by the missing Kage Bunshin or Hanabi was currently fighting it. Either way, there was no incentive to drag this fight out longer than needed. As one lunged, he kicked the attackers knee and then rounded to strike the temple.

_One down,_ Niesei thought grimly, turning his attention to the last one, who charge while forming seals. He darted forward and jumped, planting a twin suicide kick into the nin's chest. Twisting, he landed and rolled into a crouch, one hand on the ground to aid in balance as he shot a fist forward, causing several dots of chakra to explode from around his fist.

The off-balance Oto-nin never had a chance as each dot connected and burrowed through his body. As the body fell, Nisei stood, silently thanking his family as they returned to him. It never failed to amaze him how that trick worked. By charging them with excess chakra, he could employ his bugs as chakra shots, allowing them to burrow through the flesh of their target.

Looking at Hanabi, he found the girl stooped over, panting from the exertion. Her opponents were dead. No blood from what he could see. He felt unease at her casual use of Shiro Hasu Dageki. The move was an instant death to the opponents, but it made Nisei wonder what the ultimate price would be for Hanabi.

And for Naruto, complicit in her ultimate downfall.

* * *

Naruto was unsure what to make of his opponent. The redhead with glasses fought in such a strange manner that he couldn't see how it worked. She didn't attack or counter attack. She just dodged. Even that seemed odd, as she did so while not looking at him, and never once did he even come close to hitting her.

If it had just been him and her fighting, there would have already been a freaking crater in the street from where he'd used his Rasen Shuriken. However, he was both in a city full of innocent civilians and not alone. Ino was busy with her own fight, the sound of it filling the air, and he wondered briefly how she was doing, even going so far as to glance in that direction.

It proved a near fatal mistake as suddenly his opponent went on the offensive, making a sharp thrust for his throat, her hand glowing eerily green. He just barely managed to duck and follow up with a spinning kick, which made her stop short. Rising without missing a beat, his right arm whistled through the air in a spinning back fist.

Instead of driving her back, she caught his wrist and tightened her grip, fingernails digging almost painfully through the sleeve of the stolen uniform he wore. A second later, in a spray of blood, Naruto's arm exploded from the inside. The pain engulfed his mind, reduced him to his most instincual level of thought, ripping a painfully raw scream from him, even as he yanked his arm against his body in a desprite attempt to protect it as he collapsed to his knees.

"You know, its funny," the red head taunted, staring down at him. No matter how strong someone is, when you cause their own chakra to explode, they're like mewling kittens."

Naruto tuned her out for a moment, the pain helpful, but receding as the sickeningly familiar burning of his regeneration kicked in. Gritting his teeth, concentrating on keeping the Kyubi from trying anything underhanded, he glared up at the smug woman.

"So, lets see who you are," the red head said with mock pleasantness, yanking the mask off. "Wha-?!"

Naruto surged to his feet, delivering a punishing uppercut to her chin, followed by a spinning side-kick. The woman buckled and went flying back from the blow, where she stayed for a moment before she managed to climb to her feet. The woman shook her head, blood trickling from the scalp and then she stared at him.

She looked at him harder, with more hate and loathing than he had _ever_ seen.

"What, you've never seen a future Hokage before?" Naruto taunted, preparing to launch a new attack, despite the fact that his right arm was not entirely recovered from her early assault. He dimly noted the fact that his arm was numb, denoting damaged nerves and promising a great deal of future pain when they healed.

"Minato," the woman whispered, utter loathing in her tone and a murderous gaze filling her eyes.

"Wha?" Naruto amnaged, eyes widening at hearing that name. It didn't take much for him to make the connection that she knew his dad. It was more the problem of how she knew him that bothered Naruto. The girl was far too young to have ever known him.

"You're his son," the woman hissed in utter abhorrence. "ADMIT IT!"

"Er..." Naruto blinked, uneasy. This was definitely strange. "Okay, I'm his son - and you are?"

"I knew it!" the woman screamed, suddenly charging, fury etched in her features.

Eyes widening in surprise, Naruto dodged back, ducking a punch only to be caught with another to the stomach that sent him sailing back. Crashing into a wall, he slipped another punch and then leaped away while activating his Meisai Gakure no Jutsu, the entire time wondering who the hell she was.

"You think that's enough?!" she screamed and charged after him. "I can follow you no matter what; I can read your moves before you throw them! You're chakra gives you away!"

"Okay," Naurto muttered, dropping the ruse and darting back in. After a flurry of blows, which she dodged, he caught her with a seal-less Futon: Daitoppa that sent her through a store front window. "How's that, eh bitch? My chakra give me away that time?!"

"F-fuck," the woman hissed struggling to sit up.

Naruto was about to climb through the window and finish the fight when he froze, eyes widening as he saw her face. Without her glasses, he saw the resemblance and could only stare at the wounded woman in shocked stillness.

"You..." Naruto managed. "Kushina?"

"Never," Karin growled at him, a sense of murder radiating off her like nothing he had ever felt.

Naruto stepped back, hands shivering at the unexpected turn of events.

Never

He opened his mouth numbly.

"Never call me that! she howled. I'M NOT MY MOTHER!"

Backing up, eyes wide, he shook his head and stared at her once more. Karin didn't pursue him, just lay there. Naruto just barely felt Ino grabbing his arm and with her guidance he fled. Still, his mind was back there, in that moment.

With his sister.

* * *

AN:

Sorry for the delay, but I had other things going on and my wonderful beta was a swamped. Still, better late than never eh? Enjoy your Thanksgiving folks.


	20. Chapter 18: Gifts and Curses

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 18:  
-_Gifts and Curses_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

Kakashi had never been so happy to see a team as he was when Naruto and the others turned back up, a little more than two days after they had went on their rescue mission. He hadn't heard much about the retrieval, just received a messenger bird telling him that they had delivered the family to the Daimyō and were headed back to Konoha.

To have them arrayed before his desk was something akin to a miracle, if for no other reason than he could finally get some sleep instead of keeping an eye out for an assassination attempt from Anko. From what he could see, the four were unharmed, though there was something in Naruto's eyes that he wondered about. Lacing his fingers together, the Hokage rested his hands on the desk and focused on Nisei.

"Report."

For the next ten minutes, Nisei gave a brief but concise run down on the mission before they had separated as per agreement. Ino took over next, talking about the infiltration of the castle, of how she and Naruto discovered the family had already moved and how she had spoken with Uo and they arranged things for Edyoto to go into revolt. Hanabi added her bit next, about the fight to secure the boat and the hostages.

Naruto gave a rather bland report about slipping past the enemies and escaping the area. Kakashi frowned behind his mask, studying his body language and realizing Naruto was both distracted and preoccupied. Glancing at Ino, who was staring at Naruto oddly, along with Hanabi, he wondered what it could be. He decided to wait until they were alone.

"Congratulations, everyone," Kakashi said, relaxing his posture. "You all performed excellently, as I believed you would. Right now, I want you to get some rest. I don't expect to be sending your team back out until after the tenth, so get to know each other and enjoy your break."

A chorus of agreements greeted him at this, and he waited until Naruto was the last one at the door before calling him back. He hesitated, then shut the door and turned back to face him with an uneasy look in his eyes. Kakashi, more intrigued than ever, focused all of his attention on the younger man. "I know there's something youre not telling me, so spill."

"Its nothing," Naruto said, then seeing Kakashi's gaze sighed. "Look, its personal."

"Personal doesn't exist in war," Kakashi said, almost chuckling. "Naruto, I know it might seem personal, but whatever affects one person can end up affecting an entire team. I've known ninja who had personal issues that wiped out whole platoons because they kept it from the Hokage, or their Commander."

"You knew the Yondaime pretty well, right?" Naruto asked. When Kakashi nodded, he continued. "Kushina too?"

"Well yeah, sorta. She was sensei's wife, so I knew her," Kakashi said, wondering what was going on inside the boys head.

"Did they have another child, a girl?"

"...did they..." Kakashi blinked, astonishment flooding through him. "No, Naruto. They did not have another child, trust me."

"Do we have records for Orochimaru's forces?" Naruto asked, obviously uninterested in what Kakashi had said.

"Just force numbers and key people like lieutenants and the personal bodyguards," Kakashi answered, wondering what was going on. First, the question about the Yondaime having a daughter and then the question about Orochimaru's forces. It made no sense.

"Can I see them?"

"That sort of information is restricted, Jōnin and above only," Kakashi explained, raising an eyebrow slightly. "I could make an exception, if you told me why you needed to know."

"I see," Naruto muttered, before shrugging. "Do you know if any of his lieutenants are female, red hair, glasses?"

"Hmm, I don't think there is," Kakashi murmured, thinking about it while studying the expectant man curiously. "Wait, there is one. She's in charge of the Southern base, I believe. She keeps a low profile, so we don't have much on her. I know her name is Karin."

"Thanks," Naruto said, turning to leave before Kakashi stopped him once more.

"Naruto, what is all this about?"

"Its about me asking Ero-sennin a few questions," he answered breezily as he glanced back. "Need anything else?"

Kakashi stared at his subordinate for a moment and then shook his head. It was too much trouble to find everything out now. Besides, Jiraiya would probably come see him soon enough about the whole mess. Slumping in his chair, he sighed, eye dropping before he remembered something.

"Now that you mention it, there is one last thing," Kakashi said, sitting up, interest piqued once more. "I appreciate the effort and art it takes to mess with someones head. However, I find myself forced to ask why exactly you felt the need to traumatize Konohamaru so badly that he now refuses to leave his apartment."

"He dumped Hanabi-chan," Naruto said with a shrug.

"Now the big question, how'd you do it?"

"Well, I intimidated him bad enough to pee his pants for a start. Then I let him think I could come back at any time to continue our 'talk'. After that, I just asked Anko to Henge herself to look like me while I was gone and let him catch glimpses." Naruto paused, and then grinned wickedly. "I didn't think he'd freak **that** badly."

"The kind of trauma you're causing," Kakashi mused with a chuckle, staring at the boy thoughtfully. "You would fit right in as part of Ibiki's squad."

"Err...he's the guy from my Chūnin exams, right?"

"Anyway," Kakashi said, ignoring the question, his eye curving up happily. "Is there anything I can do to help freak him out?"

"Nah," Naruto said with a wicked grin. "I got it under control."

* * *

Silence in many ways proved comforting, though it could also be unnerving. This happened to be the unnerving version; the same as before a severe storm, the storm of a womans wrath, which would be Yamanaka Ino's temper, which would soon wash over 'Nisei' like the fury of Mother Nature gone bad.

Only two things held the silence before the coming storm, the third party in the hallway, Hanabi, and the absence of one Uzumaki Naruto. Once he arrived, all bets were off. Still, she would wait and bite her tongue, the anger building inside her like a rain cloud.

"Excuse me, Hanabi asked after a moment, her tone just barely indicating her interest.

Ino-san, is there a reason why you're glaring at Besshu-san?"

"No reason," Ino bit out, paused, glancing at Hanabi. Did you just use my first name?"

"Yes," Hanabi said with a tiny shrug. "Would you rather I call you Yamanaka-san?"

"Its not that, but you never call me by my first name," Ino managed, startled more than she would have thought. Hanabi had always used a much more polite form of address, but to use her first name indicated Ino's position had changed in relation to how Hanabi viewed her.

"Well, you seemed determined to treat me familiarly, so should I not do the same?" Hanabi responded with a shrug. "Besides, Niisan seems to view you as a friend so I should be more accepting."

"Niisan?" Nisei asked, sounding genuinely confused. "You mean Naruto?"

"Ah, I meant sensei," Hanabi said quickly, looking slightly embarrassed. "A slip of the tongue. I was thinking about a book and it just came out."

Ino blinked and shook her head, almost chuckling at the display of embarrassment. It also explained why Hanabi seemed so possessive of Naruto and why he was so protective of her. If they viewed each other as brother and sister, it would make sense, especially for Hanabi.

Normally, Ino would have teased the girl a bit, maybe, but she instead shot Nisei a glare that told him to back off. No point in pissing the girl off after taking on a slightly more familiar position. Getting in good with Hanabi might help her chances with Naruto in the end.

"Hanabi," the familiar voice of Naruto said as he came into view, and when the girl turned to face him he continued without looking at her. "Why don't you go home for the day? We'll met up tomorrow morning for some training."

"Of course sensei, but-"

"No buts, this is something between old teammates. Just go on home, and I'll see you tomorrow," Naruto said, glancing at her briefly. When she nodded, he looked away.

Ino watched the younger girl retreat, glancing at the three of them before disappearing into another set of stairs. The original team Hayate/Anko: Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Ino, and Aburame Shino.

"So," Naruto said after a moment, his face a hard mask and eyes dark as he stared at Nisei. Nisei made a noise as if to say something, but Naruto moved far to quick and with the sound of fist hitting flesh sent the other boy tumbling to the ground.

"Naruto!" Ino snapped, more surprised than upset at him hitting the other boy.

"Sorry," Naruto said by way of apology, turning to grin at her, "but I'm good now. I'll leave you two alone to talk. You've got a lot more reason to be pissed than I do."

Ino blinked then watched as he walked off, following Hanabi's earlier path. In retrospect, it wasn't too surprising that Naruto wouldn't have more to say or do. After all, he and Shino had never gotten close. She focused on Nisei, who had regained a vertical posture and felt sorely tempted to use her new sword on him.

"I should break your neck," Ino grated out after a moment, struggling to keep her temper. "I thought you were dead, do you have any idea what it's like to believe that for so long and then find out it wasn't true?"

"Aburame Shino had to die and he is dead, though it was not entirely my idea," Nisei answered calmly, disregarding her anger. "But there was a very good reason. The Aburame-"

"Weren't happy with you. Yeah, the Hokage told me, big fuckin whoop," Ino snapped angrily, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm down. "Look, I'm trying really hard not to explode right now, but your family being upset isn't a good enough reason."

"This was not a case of being 'upset'," Nisei said patiently. "They would have stopped at nothing to see Shino dead."

"Say wha?" Ino managed, eyes widening in horrified surprise. What could be worth killing a family member over? It even reminded her bitterly of the Uchiha massacre, though in a different way.

"Shino discovered something he should not have," Nisei explained causally. "In response, his clan decided that his life was forfeit. It was pure, though tragic, luck that he died when he did and hence the Aburame are no longer seeking his life."

"Okay, so I get why, sorta," Ino said after a long moment, mind churning with thoughts. It had been a more complicated situation than she'd first believed, but it still hurt her deeply that he had done this. He was lucky this wasn't a year ago, she'd have gutted or verbally castrated him by now, not that she wasn't sorely tempted to do so anyway.

"I get the impression that you are not happy, but there was no other option," Nisei said solemnly, lowering his head. "I am sorry for the loss you suffered and the pain."

"Maybe," Ino offered darkly, glowering at him, "but we went through a lot together. I spent two years alone, thinking my friends were either gone, dead or had betrayed me. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to work with you, or trust you, like before."

"Our team work does not rely on the type you had with Shino. Rather, you have to learn to trust Nisei and that will take time," the masked boy paused, studying her intently. "However, I think we should postpone further conversation until later."

"But-" Ino started to protest until three ANBU arrived and she realized what he meant. The stairway in the Hokage tower was not exactly the most secure place to have this sort of conversation and there was enough she had to digest right now. "I'll catch you later, Besshu-san, along with the others."

"Yes, we will need extensive training if we are to understand each other," Nisei said with a hint of smug arrogance. "Until tomorrow, Yamanaka-san."

* * *

Reaching the small clearing that marked the beginning of their training area, Naruto paused to watch Hanabi strike the post with single-minded determination. Her eyes were closed, face scrunched up in concentration, all of her attention focused on the flow of her strikes. In all honesty, he wasn't surprised to find Hanabi here, training when others would be resting.

Every day she grew a bit more like him, which constantly left Naruto uncertain as to whether such a thing was good or bad. Mixed feelings were nothing new to him, so he did as he always did with such things and shoved them aside. Instead, he watched in silence, studying and appraising her, wondering what else he could do to help her survive this life.

Hanabi finally stopped and stood motionlessly in the clearing, her breathing loud in the gathering gloom. After another moment, she turned toward him, a general lack of surprise registering on her features. They spent a minute just staring at each other and then she spoke, her voice collected as always.

"Well?"

"You're improving," Naruto said with a chuckle, walking over to put an arm around her shoulder and lead her out of the clearing. "Doesnt surprise me; after all, I'm an awesome sensei."

"Has anyone ever told you that pride comes before a fall?" Hanabi asked with a small chuckle.

"Pride? What pride? Just stating a fact, I'm an awesome sensei!" Naruto countered with a grin, glancing down at the younger girl. "So, if I heard right from Nisei's part of the report, you took out two Chūnin-level enemy in the city. Racking up some impressive stats there, ain'tcha? Almost back-to-back A-rank missions and three higher-level enemies."

"Is there a point to this recapping, or are you trying to flatter me for a reason?" Hanabi countered, giving him a shrewd look.

"Well, not really flattering you, but Ino-chan did bring up a valid point. Not so much about the 'Shiro Hasu Dageki', but you are younger than us when we started," Naruto said, knowing that there was no point in denying that. He had faith that Hanabi was strong enough to handle the situation and the stress, but he worried about her.

"I'm fine," Hanabi said curtly, looking away.

Naruto sighed and shook his head.

They walked in silence for a few more minutes before Hanabi spoke up hesitantly, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Naruto said, hands in his pockets as they left the training forest and entered the streets of Konoha.

"Where does the soul go?"

"I don't know," Naruto answered honestly, startled by such a question, one that he had asked himself on more than one occasion. A lot of people think they know. All I can really say is that souls goes someplace and the dead watch over us. Why?"

"Because I worry. I'm more aware than ever of how closely death walks with us."

"Actually, he's riding piggy back," Naruto quipped with a chuckle, and then at her dour look sighed. "Hanabi, the soul goes where the soul goes. Those that are precious to us, even if they're gone, they keep watch over us. Worrying about it doesn't help you. As a matter of fact, very bad things can happen when you start worrying about the soul and death."

"Bad things?"

"Orochimaru," Naruto said in response, disgust in his tone. He had heard a lot from Jiraiya about the traitorous Sannin over the years. There was no doubt the man was a genius, but he was hopelessly twisted because of his morbid interest in death.

Hanabi blinked, apparently getting the connection, though he didn't expand and her gaze turned thoughtful before sighing. "I still worry."

"Bah, I'm not gonna die anytime soon. Neither are you, so worrying is kinda stupid," Naruto said, thumping her upside the head. "Anyway, go get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow morning, four sharp. We'll work on weapons and give taijutsu a break."

"Fine, but sensei," Hanabi paused, turning to grin up at him. "Ino-san's going to be upset with you if I learn any more 'dangerous' techniques."

"Yeah, yeah, that's not her business," Naruto countered, rolling his eyes. "Now go to bed, or I can ask Anko to work with you on taiju-"

He couldn't help but chuckle as the younger girl took off before he could finish. Shaking his head, he looked around and then, without a word, took off in a series of shunshins to his spot. Reaching the selected overlook in a matter of minutes, he came to a stop, absorbing the sight of the sun disappearing over the horizon.

Sitting down, he sighed, his mind turning away from his concern for Hanabi and toward a more pressing matter. Karin. She didn't seem that old, but she definitely knew the Yondaime. Her resemblance to Kushina, his own mother, was rather strong. Too strong to be coincidence. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation.

As if Akatsuki and the Kyūbi weren't enough, now he had to wrestle with the apparent fact that he had a sister. A blood relative, kami, how was that possible. He should have known about her. Jiraiya would have mentioned her, he was sure of it, which meant the old pervert hadn't known. At least, Naruto hoped the man hadn't been aware of the woman.

Of course, there was the added problem of what was he going to do now. She was his sister, but she was working for Orochimaru. Granted, there might be a reasonable explanation for it. Perhaps she had been desperate like Anko had been; Naruto had no illusions that the bastard Orochimaru couldn't manipulate someone like that into devoting their life to him.

"Well, could be worse," Naruto admitted with a hollow laugh. "Orochimaru could be my dad."

* * *

Governor Fuwa Kazunari was a tall, ambitious man, and younger than any previous governor at the age of twenty-five. He controlled the Seventh Region with an iron fist, aided by a group he had formed and helped consolidate into a force to respect, the Hi no Kuni Ninja. With the aid of Unity, Fuwa had initially managed to gain a lot of ground among the other governors.

Enough ground that he had foolishly asked Unity to stage an assassination attempt on the Daimyō. When the man had died, he would press for Konoha to be disolved and the acceptance of his ninja as the only source. Unity had agreed, though they said only because they had reasons of their own, but ultimately the whole affair had blown up in his face.

The Daimyō survived, Unity had been revealed, and Konoha ninja had caught his scent and been set on his trail. His contact, Souzen, had to flee. Only due to Unity covering their own tracks had he been saved from a death sentence. After that, Fuwa decided that the only course to gaining enough power, and hence eventually being selected as Daimyō Kasigi's successor, was through gathering and empowering his elite forces.

Unity helped with training, supplies, organization, but Fuwa never again asked them for direct help. It had taken months, but finally he had seemed to be making headway once more. Five of the thirteen governors used his Hi no Kuni ninja exclusively. Most notably, had been Governor Bokkai, who had controlled the First Region, and been the most influential of the thirteen.

A month after that coup, three years ago, there had been the ruinous assassination. Someone had slipped through a legion of highly trained samurai along with some of the best Hi no Kuni Ninja available and killed the man in bed. The official report from Konoha chalked it up to an unknown ninja. According to Unity, it had been the work of Uzumaki Naruto.

Fuwa's humiliation at how pathetic it had made his force look turned to rage. He'd invested a lot of time in researching this Naruto. All the research that he gathered, Unity had been singularly unhelpful, led Fuwa to decide to forestall vengeance and avoid the boy utterly. Naruto consorted with the Hokage, he _dreamed_ of being Hokage and his teachers were all extremely powerful ninja, meaning revenge would be a particularly large liability.

"Fuwa-sama," one of his guards said politely. He came out of his thoughts and glanced at the middle-aged samurai thoughtfully. "This is as far we go."

A curt nod dismissed his guards and he continued down the next corridor, knowing the path perfectly well. He felt bare without his swords, but orders were orders and Fuwa would respect them. At length, he stopped outside a door and, with a steadying breath, entered.

The room was anything but impressive. Outside of the twelve people arrayed around the meeting table, it would be like any other room. But these twelve were the strongest, most powerful samurai in the land. Together they were the Council of Thirteen, Governors of Hi no Kuni, answerable only to the Daimyō Kasigi Ieyasu.

"Konbanwa, Fuwa-san," a young woman, her narrow face filled with a smirk, said from her spot at the table.

"Konbanwa, Nase-sama," Fuwa returned, a polite bow accompanying his words. The woman smiled and turned back to her silent discussion with a plump old man named Iizasa Yoshinao, Governor of Region Six. Fuwa moved toward his seat silently, keeping an eye on Nase Asumi, the 29-year-old woman that was Governor of Region One.

Settling into his seat, he nodded politely at both Kojiro and Soji, Governors of Region Ten and Nine respectively, then studied the gathered samurai. These were his rivals, his comrades, treacherous as snakes and loyal as dogs. He caught the gaze of Governor Justo, who had helped Fuwa come to power, but neither man said a word to the other.

"Fuwa-san, did you just arrive?" Governor Kikkawa of Region Four asked with a polite interest that hid the paranoia of a patriot.

"A few hours ago. Security is unbelievably tight. Do we know of any developments in the battle?"

"Nothings changed," Kikkawa said tightly, his grey eyes darkening. "Those bastards still control Region Two. We'll pry them out, and soon, but still this is dangerous."

"Governor Uo's family arrived safely not too long ago," Governor Hojo of Region Eight interjected and, seeing his attention, continued. "Fuwa-sama, we've been discussing the matter. Okita-san pointed out that Hi no Kuni ninja had recently replaced the Konoha teams stationed on the wall, he's raised the question about how effective your ninja are if such an invasion could occur."

"I'm sure its just a coincidence," Nase said, surprisingly coming to his aide since she openly loathed him and his ninja. "A tragic coincidence to be sure, but Fuwa-san cannot be held liable for it. Nor does it reflect badly on the Hi no Kuni ninja, merely those that were so weak as to allow such an event."

"Thank you, yes its exactly as you say, Nase-sama," Fuwa said with a broad smile, but mentally he wondered what the ferret-faced woman had in store. "Can I ask when we expect to repel those foul invaders?"

"Two weeks, give or take," Nase answered casually. "Daimyō Kasigi-sama is moving two brigades forward in a head on assault, while myself and Justo-san provide two more so that we catch them in a pincer motion. Altogether, we'll be hitting them with a 20,000 strong division of samurai, while Konoha provides a suitable number of ninja for support."

"They are already making excursions to try and weaken the Oto hold and recover one of those devastating weapons," Justo said, meeting Fuwa's gaze steadily.

"I see. Then I'll contact the Ontai Hibachi and have him send several teams as well," Fuwa said, egear to show that the Hi no Kuni soldiers could handle this task as well.

"No, it would be best if they remained clear of the battle," Moniwa Hiroie of Region Three said blandly. "I support their use, but they are still a tad inexperienced in this sort of situation."

"Perhaps, but how else would they gain experience if they don't participate?" Governor Soji asked, taking over the debate.

"I agree," Nase said, eyes meeting Fuwa's steady gaze. "Edyoto and Region Two are in rebellion, as we all know. I think we should send Hi no Kuni Ninja in to help with the matter."

"It is a sound plan," Fuwa said carefully, sensing a trap but not seeing it clearly, "though I fear that this rebellion may cost us an esteemed ally in Governor Uo."

"If such a horrible event were to transpire, we would need to replace him," Nase said, the corner of her mouth curving, "wouldn't we, Kazunari-san."

Fuwa hesitated, aware that all attention was on him and his next words. If he agreed, then hed be viewed as opportunistic and if he declined, hed be easy prey for the petty politics that filled the Thirteen. "I am Governor of Region Seven, Nase-sama, so I am hardly qualified to discuss state-policy with one such as you. However, the sad truth is, yes, we would have to find a suitable replacement, but who exactly would be open to speculation."

The room was silent, eyes darting between the two. Fuwa desperately hoped that the Daimyō arrived soon. He did not know what Nase had in store, but it would undoubtable be nasty. She was not a very kind woman, especially with those she viewed as rivals.

Thankfully, the door opened again and the Daimyō entered, along with his bodyguard and chief general Shinta.

Everyone bowed stiffly, Kasigi bowed back and Fuwa turned his mind away from the ill-fate he sensed looming closer.

* * *

The scratching of pen against paper filled the silent office, mixing with the ticking of the clock on the wall. She should have left an hour ago, paperwork was her enemy, but Shizune had been especially noisy today and Tsunade had been unable to do much of anything toward curing Jiriaya. The medication she had produced from the roots of the Ippan-i would do more harm than good in the long run, if it even worked for much longer. She needed to start her research and development, but today had highlighted how closely watched she had become.

So while jotting her personal notes down in between reading reports, Tsunade had been trying to formulate a way to change that. Shizune would be the biggest snitch, but how she could circumvent the younger woman without arousing suspicion escaped her. Instead, she sat, reading reports, musing about how to cheat death from possessing Jiriaya.

It wasn't until she began reading the last report from a medical research lab, that she stumbled across the answer to the two problems.

Shortly after taking over the medical situation in Konoha, she had set about increasing the medical research available by ceating two main labs and several smaller ones thoughout Hi no Kuni. There were several reasons for this, but mainly it provided more security in case one lab was breeched. Now, however, they would answer the problem of Shizune and how to perform her more questionable experiments without being caught.

The smaller labs reported to her and Kiyoshi, but they were the public ones. Zokusei and Haijin were not public and reported _directly_ and exclusively to her, so she could easily assign Shizune to one as its Medical Director and use the other to research the theories that she had been developing for curing fatal chakra poisoning.

So the question was, which lab got what.

Zokusei had more resources and was the most isolated of the two, but Haijin would be more likely to follow orders without question as the Director there idolized Tsunade. There was also the fact that Zokusei already had a lot on their hands with research into genjutsu inducing poisons, which were quite dangerous since typical means of genjutsu escape were useless. Tapping pen against the desk, Tsunade made up her mind.

Shizune would be heading for Zokusei tomorrow or the day after.

Glancing at the clock, she sighed, turning back to the paperwork on her desk. Even with that problem soon to be solved, she still had a lot to do.

* * *

__

Konoha, October 10th

The weather was foul; the sky overcast, the ground muddied from previous nights of rain and the wind bitterly cold. Normally, this would be unusual weather for Konoha, but it fit the mood for those that lived within the walls of the village. Today was the day their greatest Hokage had died, the day they had nearly been eradicated. The Day of Kyūbi. October Tenth was an infamous day that would never be forgotten, forever tainted by untold death and blood. It was a somber day, and every Konoha ninja observed the fallen in their own way. Such would never change.

However, this day was unique after another fashion, though generally not discussed; shame and guilt the prime culprits. Sixteen years ago on the very day the Kyūbi attacked there had been a child born, the lone survivor of a barbaric sneak attack on the village that would follow. This child would mark the last time _any_ child within Konoha would be born on October tenth, and his birth had never been celebrated.

Uzumaki Naruto. Hero of Konoha. Shadow of The Beast.

* * *

Anko sighed, eating her dango as quietly as possible, keeping a shrewd eye out for either Kakashi or Naruto. The shop around her, while never loud on the best of days, bordered now on silent as a graveyard. Konoha refused to stop operating, but everybody made it a point to be extra mindful of those lost to the Kyūbi and the surviving families.

Mitarashi Anko felt the best way too truly remember those lost would be to act normal. Still, even she could be respectful of others wishes and with a whole village in such a funk she had no choice. Shaking her head, she finished her meal and sighed softly, disappointed that Naruto had not shown up. It would be forgiven.

Today was his birthday, after all. He would most likely be trying to avoid public places. Twelve years of instincts were hard to overcome, and he had a lot on his shoulders Akatsuki, revealing the Kyūbi, a war, Hanabi. He hadn't spoken with her much lately, mostly due to her mission as a Kage Seiei, but when he did he always seemed to have an extra shadow around in his eyes.

Getting up while tossing her money on the table, the normally loud Kunoichi slipped out of the shop in silence, joining the small crowd in the street outside. Nobody spoke unless they had to, voices were subdued but Anko still took pride in the fact that Konoha refused to stop functioning or retreat from their lives. Case in point was the present in the overcoat she wore, ordered and delivered this morning, for Naruto.

Moving through the streets, Anko headed for the center of Konoha and the Hokage Tower. Despite the day and the fact that she wanted to see Naruto, Kakashi needed some attention. His sensei had died today. The Yondaime had practically raised Kakashi after the death of Sakumo. Today would be difficult for him as well.

Coming into view of the tower, she paused, noticing an unusual amount of ANBU in the area. Not surprising, Konoha always seemed to step up ANBU patrols around the tower on this day. Disregarding them, she continued on her trek, heading inside and up the steps before finally entering the office at the end of a rather long and familiar hallway.

The Chūnin at the desk made an obvious effort to ignore her. The door guard actually closed his eyes and went taut in fear. Anko allowed a tiny grin at their reactions. It was nice to still inspire such terror after only one encounter. Entering the office of the Hokage, she paused, finding the massive desk covered with papers, occupied not by the Hokage, but Shizune.

"Okay," Anko said, closing the door with an almost silent 'thump'. Eying the startled woman, she felt uneasy at Kakashis display of trust toward someone aslow ranking as Shizune. She might have been jealous, but that was beside the point. "Where's Kakashi and what are you doing here?"

"Anko?" Shizune said, recovering from her surprise as smoothly as she could. "I, he asked Jiraiya-sama to fill in, but Tsunade-sama decided I should fill in for him."

"Okay," Anko said, mollified enough to not turn the woman into a red smear on the carpet. "Kakashi is where then?"

"Hokage-sama told Jiraiya-sama that he'd be out of the office all day, but other than that I don't know," Shizune said, shifting uncomfortably in the high leather chair she sat in. "Why'd you want to see him?"

"Iunno, why are you pretending you don't have a crush on him?" Anko countered sourly, leaving the sputtering woman behind as she turned and walked out the door. Shaking her head, Anko sighed in annoyance at having to deal with Shizune so early in the morning. There was just something about Shizune, nothing Anko could define honestly, that pissed her off.

Shaking it off, she made her way back down the stairs and to the street, knowing without a doubt where Kakashi would be. She knew of the only place the masked man would turn up, at least today. Moving through the semi-deserted streets, Anko almost winced at thinking about disturbing him, but he might need the company. Besides, she could be a little selfish, and seeing him now was important somehow.

It took her even less time to reach the stretch of woods that were so special to Kakashi, where she had first trained Naruto and where the Yondaime had first trained Kakashi. Despite the overcast and silvery light that filtered through the trees, the forest almost seemed to glow and she marveled at it until she reached the edge of a clearing.

Normally, she avoided this place, because of the marble stone located just ahead where the masked figure of Kakashi stood. In all of Konoha, this was the only place she dreaded going, and that cenotaph the only thing she feared. The names listed, she knew far too many for her comfort, because she had put them there under Orochimaru's command.

Her original team would be listed, then a messenger next, maybe a gate guard. It all blurred together. Her mind would force her to remember each moment along with the silent guilt that would never truly fade. Shivering, Anko gathered her resolve and then crossed the clearing, focusing on Kakashi, absently wondering what still lay between them. And what never would.

Coming to a stop beside him, both stood perfectly still, gazes fixed on the marble cenotaph. Anko felt disappointed as always at how smooth and perfect the letters were, they lacked the sheer torture of seeing those names and being the reason so many were present. Anko hated having to supply her own guilt, which she had to dredge her own battered conscious to remember, if only those immaculately straight letters could do it for her.

"You didn't have to come," Kakashi finally said in almost a whisper.

"I know, but I figured you could use the company." Anko responded in kind, eyes lingering on one of her earliest kills, shamed at still feeling a sick sense of pride from the memory.

"Thanks," Kakashi said, not glancing away from a name toward the bottom "Were you surprised?"

"Well, to find Shizune there, yeah, but I'm not surprised you're here," Anko answered, gaze moving to another name she was responsible for. "Part of me did figure you would be busy staring at the Yondaime's face today."

"Anko I've been the Godaime Hokage for three years," Kakashi said after a protracted silence. "Every hour of the last 1,095 days, all I've thought about is sensei and the village. Today, I'm just Hatake Kakashi and all _he_ wants to think about is Obito."

"Don't blame you," Anko admitted, glancing at him. "I've never asked, but what exactly happened? I know he died on the mission and you got a Sharingan out of the whole affair...and that Rin eventually went way off the deep end."

"I made a bad decision," Kakashi answered blandly. "Rin got captured during a fight and Obito wanted to save her. I argued and tried to tell him that the mission was more important at the time. He refused and went alone to save her, I came at the last minute and together we managed to save her.

Anko waited.

Well, he saved her more. But he died and I got his eye."

"Ah," Anko paused, glancing at him. "You should have knocked his ass out and done the mission. As a medical nin, she'd have been fine long enough for you to rescue her."

"Like I said," Kakashi admitted with a small shrug. "I made a bad decision."

* * *

Battlefields were all the same. The dead lay strewn about, blood seeping into the dirt and the stench of opened bowels heavy in the air. Always there was a kind of silence that only came from violence, and a stillness over the world that seemed unnatural. Man perverting life. Eventually, the survivors would struggle to hold onto their threadbare tatters of life, breaking the stillness.

This battlefield proved no different. Of the two four-man teams, only three people had survived the clash to live on in the hell of war. Two were Oto ninja, the captain Miura Ryota, a burly man with a starburst scar on his cheek, and a wisp of a woman called Niimi Tomiko, who had been a failed Genin from Kumo.

The third survivor was unconscious and sprawled across the ground at Ryota's feet, but his features were unmistakably pale and refined. It had been a hard fought battle for Ryota's team, but it had been essential to win and leave this Hyūga alive.

"What now, Captain Miura?" Tomiko asked from the tree she was currently propped up against, treating her wounds.

"First, I check something," the large man said as he knelt and removed the forehead protector. He grinned behind his tattered face mask, seeing the unmarred flesh of the captives forehead. Not a branch member. This meant his ambitions could be realized, that his near suicidal attack on the Konoha ninja had not been in vain.

"Well?" Tomiko asked impatiently, masking her pain with annoyance.

"This is exactly what we needed," Ryota said, scooping the prone form up even as his ribs twinged in pain. A coughing fit seized him, but he shook it off and walked over to the still seated woman and offered her his hand. Come on. The sooner we give this to Kabuto-sama, the sooner we get promoted."

"Promoted?" Tomiko asked, grimacing as she let him pull her up. She swayed, stumbled, but managed to stay upright even though she dry heaved and nearly toppled over.

"Kabuto-sama told me and a few others that they were recruiting for three people to re-establish an elite group, The Otogakure no Shinobi Yonin Shū," Ryota explained, his back protesting the act of standing and carrying the Hyūga. "The only way to gain entry into that group was to capture a Main Branch Hyūga and bring him or her back."

"Why?" Tomiko asked, stumbling alongside him, hand seeking trees for balance.

"I don't have a clue, he admitted. Don't care either. We got this one, we turn him in, we get promoted, which means less grunt work and an easier life."

"Ah, and you're letting me get promoted with you why exactly?"

"Because," Ryota said, staring at her appraisingly, "you killed that one bitch and damn near died with me. I wouldn't trust anyone else.

Tomiko smiled shallowly through her pain.

And I think we're going to need people we can trust when we get promoted."

* * *

__

"So, ssssomeone survived?"

At the sound of the voice, Karin froze out of instinctual terror.

"How old are you?" the voice asked, as a pale face loomed out of the darkness, its yellow eyes gazing at her. "Far too young to be on your own, yesss?"

Karin could only stare, unable to grasp what the man was saying. She didnt think he was bad. Not like the others, the ones that came before, the ones that she had ran and hid from. Not bad, maybe, but scary. Powerful.

When he reached out in the familiar gesture of her father, she crawled forward cautiously. He swept her up, cradling her close, offering comfort and safety and she clung tightly to him, refusing to let go lest he disappear.

"Its okay," he whispered, hissed, and she tensed slightly. "I'm going to take good care of you."

Karin woke up with a start, and then winced at the pain coursing through her body. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breathing, allowing her body to adjust to the pain. Once it had faded to acceptable levels, Karin opened her eyes once more to examine her surroundings. A spare bed. A featureless room in the darkness. All was blurry.

_Where the hell am I?_

Karin couldn't recall much after the initial battle, but a nagging unease lurked at the edges of her memory.

She grunted as her head swam, struggling to concentrate. She needed to remember, but her mind was slippery and shaky, but the reason simply drifted away every time she attempted to dreg her memories for what was bothering her.

Anger. She remembered that much.

With a low moan, she put an arm over her eyes, ignoring the brief flare of pain that followed.

A minute later a door opening, and without thinking she used her Kagura Shingan to follow the movements of the person that entered. From the chakra, the person was a doctor, which put her at ease. "What the hell happened?"

"You were in a fight with a Konoha ninja," the doctor said, and she shifted her arm to stare at the youngish looking man. Probably a year or two older than her. He belonged to Oto, if the symbol on his jacket was real. The man stared, warily adding, "He blew you through a store front window."

"Ah, right," Karin said, scowling. She couldn't remember any details about the fight and that key memory kept dancing just out of reach. "Who?"

"Uzumaki-"

"That bastard!" Karin shouted, jerking upright, but her body seized and she collapsed from the pain. The doctor was there in a heartbeat, hands glowing to ease the pain and the muscle spasms that were racking her frame. But that cursed family name had been enough to trigger her memory.

Uzumaki Naruto, that damn bastard! The son of the Yondaime and of her bitch of a mother Kushina: Her brother.

Despite the trauma of her body, she felt no pain. Karin swore to get her revenge on them. It didn't matter how long it would take, or what she would have to do, but she was determined to make her _brother_ suffer so badly that he would beg her for death.

* * *

Tenten quietly cleaned off the leaves that had blown over the plain stones of her families grave markers. The weapons mistress, head of the Konoha Military Police, sighed as she put her broom aside and set about cleaning them. Admittedly, she felt a little ashamed for visiting only once a year, but she just couldn't find the time to come more often.

From the looks of things, she'd be the only one this year. Not surprising. The rest of her family were less than mindful about dead relatives, something Tenten worried others would imitate until she glanced around the cemetery. She could see others moving silently through the stones, tending to their family plots, making the offerings.

Turning back with a sigh, she carefully arranged the flowers she had brought and then lit the incense stick. Sitting back on her haunches, the young woman studied the grave for a long moment, drifting in thought. Sixteen years ago, a massive Beast known as the Kyūbi had assaulted Konoha and only through the sacrifice of their greatest Hokage had it been defeated.

It was a day of eternal mourning that would never fade, yet Tenten felt more despair over the loss of Neji. She couldn't accept that he would just up and disappear. Even if he didn't love his wife or child, he would not abandon them.

Or her.

Her friends in Unity said they had heard nothing either, and that they were just as baffled. Tenten chewed her bottom lip, feeling there was something important concerning Neji that she was overlooking. She couldn't pin the thought down. She tried to shake the nagging thought of, feeling unbearably guilty for thinking about him when she should be remembering those lost to the Kyūbi.

Then again, what did it really matter? The dead were dead, and remembering them didn't change that. Besides, she personally didn't know anyone that had died that day. Tenten had only been a year old when the Beast had attacked, so what could she feel outside of the communal loss that the event created? Shaking her head, the young woman stood. With a silent nod, she left her family graves and started the trek back to the village.

Glancing left, she saw at the opposite end the grave sites for the Major and Minor Clans of Konoha, though those blessed with Advanced Bloodlines were not present. It would just be too risky to leave even the ashes of such blessed people, inviting grave robbing even if their bodies were unusable. Shaking her head, Tenten continued on her way, passing large statues and elegant tombs as he made her way to the center of the graveyard.

She would visit the Hokage Memorial to pay her respects to the most powerful ninjas who had lived, who had given their lives to protect the village and the ideals for which it stood. Following the careworn path that took the shape of a leaf, Tenten came up short as she saw someone already there. He stood just ahead of her, his frame covered with a black and orange outfit and his wild blond hair moving in the slight breeze.

It shouldn't have been surprising to see him there, but for some indescribable reason it was. He shifted uncomfortably before the stylized flame of the Memorial, and Tenten wondered why. Out of everyone in the village, this young man should have felt the most natural standing before such a monument. Even Tenten knew that.

Yet there stood Uzumaki Naruto, silent and shifting his weight like a child before an angry school master.

"I...I'm not one to visit, ya know," Naruto said, his voice just barely reaching her. "Even when I found out, I didn't visit. Meh, not that you care being dead and all, but..."

He paused and reaching up, scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry, but you know, this is just awkward. Anyway, I want you to know I'm doing the best that I can and I **will **be Hokage. Uhm, and...if you can, could you tell me if you and mom got busy and had a daughter? I asked Ero-sennin and masked-perv, but they both said I was an only child, but that Karin chick knew your name and she said Kushina was her mom."

Tenten blinked rapidly, processing what she had heard. Key phrases jumped out at her and she quickly made the connection, a connection she confirmed by snapping her head up and around to stare at the fourth face on the mountain over the village. Looking back, Tenten could only stare in muted awe as the sheer vastness of the knowledge she now possessed flooded through her.

Uzumaki Naruto, the SON of the YONDAIME!

His body stiffened and he turned quickly, but Tenten had moved as silently as any Jōnin and hid herself behind a nearby statue. Heart hammering in her chest, the weapons expert dearly wished to move, but held perfectly still. If he found her, there was no telling how he would react and she wanted to avoid a scene in the graveyard.

"I guess I'm going to go," Naruto said after a moment, his voice pensive. "I forgive you. I don't agree with what you did, but I understand."

Tenten waited another minute and breathed easier as the silence lengthened, finally peeking around the statue. She searched for any sign of him. Finding none, she let out a deep breath she had been holding. Then her mind locked onto the last thing he had said. What had Naruto meant by that, what had the Yondaime done that Naruto had not agreed with?

"What do you know that we don't, Naruto?" Tenten murmured, gaze distant.

* * *

Stepping out of the shower, Ino wrapped her hair up in a towel and sighed. Was there anything like a hot shower to make a girl feel better? Ino didn't think so, nor did her mom, who had sent her straight upstairs after coming home from early morning training with her team. Ino paused in front of the partially fogged up mirror, studying her features carefully before grinning.

Letting her hair down, Ino grabbed the blow-dryer and brush, tending to her wonderful golden locks and vaguely remembering of when she had been younger and spent hours on it. Back then, she'd had more hair than any ninja should. Now, she was happy to have it cut short so that it just barely touched her shoulder, not that she took less care of it. Finishing, she casually pulled her hair back into a single ponytail.

Satisfied, Ino turned her attention toward other concerns, namely that of make-up, but decided against it. Day off or not, Ino rarely indulged in beauty supplies, with the only obvious sign of female vanity were the tubes of lipstick and chap stick in a wide variety of flavors and shades. Nimble fingers brushed across the various items, her mind thoughtful about which to wear, then selected a darker color.

She studied it for a moment, then set it down and selected another one; strawberry, this time. Applying it expertly, pleased at the faint tinge of pink it left behind, she smiled then blew her reflection a kiss and winked. Satisfied, she grabbed her robe and dropping her dirty clothes into the hamper before leaving the bathroom.

After that it took her even less time to slip into her comfortable casual clothes, a loose light blue shirt and grey pants. Unlike others who preferred running around in their work clothes, Ino fell into the small group that liked being comfortable when they could, or maybe just less noticeable. She moved quickly across the room and grabbed her purse, Neko-chan, before bounding out of her room and down the stairs.

Reaching the ground floor, she paused, listening for her parents, and then headed for the kitchen, slightly hopeful at being able to escape before being put to work. This hope was dashed when she entered the kitchen and found her mom casually dicing up a nameless vegetable at the counter and humming, not that she could have gotten anywhere considering the woman's unusually keen hearing.

"Hi mom."

"Oh, out of the shower already?" her mom asked, turning to smile at her. "Normally you take an hour."

"Only in the mornings," Ino responded, moving toward the fridge, as from there it would be a quick dash to the back door. "Besides, I gotta go out for a bit."

"Oh? I thought you'd stay home tonight," her mom said, the knife pausing in mid-chop "You know how we worry and this is..."

"Yeah, I know," Ino said, feeling a pang of guilt and annoyance. All her life growing up, her parents had refused to let her go out of their sight on this day. When she had gotten old enough to ask why, her father had explained that the Yamanaka family had lost a great many people, some of the truly gifted, and a sort of irrational fear bound the surviving family members.

"Honey, I know we're not very rational about this, but..." her mom started to protest until Ino cut her off.

"I can't stay, mom. Today isn't just Day of Kyūbi," Ino said, pausing and glancing away. "Its Naruto's birthday."

"Oh," her mom said, her voice wavering, "I-I had forgotten."

"I'm going out, so I can get him something to surprise him," Ino explained, a tiny grin forming. "I'll be home tonight. I promise I won't sleep over."

"Well, why not?" her mom asked, sounding amused, shooting Ino a knowing look ."For any guy, _that_ would be a great birthday present."

"Mom!" Ino shouted, feeling her entire face turn red. "Its not like that. We're not like that! Just friends!"

"Whatever you say, dear," her mom said dismissively, turning back to her cooking. "Have fu...well, be careful, promise?"

"I will," Ino said quickly and then hurried out the door, trying to banish her infernal blush. She was three blocks away before the urge to dunk her head in water finally subsided. Kami, what had her mom been thinking implying something like that?

Not that Ino would mind if they were dating, but they werent. And at the rate she was going, they never would. Yes, her skills in the ensnaring-males department were rusty, but she had been sending strong signals all morning and Naruto had yet to pick up a single one. It was almost embarrassing how clueless he acted and, even worse, both Hanabi and Nisei picked them up and knew her plight. Tonight would be different. She'd get him a wonderful present and he'd be so overcome with emotions that he'd just have to do _something_.

Ino would strike then, when he was at his most vulnerable, and once she got her hooks in him, that'd be the end of it. Grinning, she felt a moment of triumph, before remembering the one problem with her plan. Ino didn't have a present, nor could she think of spectacular enough to create such an opening.

That was all it would take. Just one measly little opening

Clothes were out; Naruto would have more than his fair share of orange. She shuddered involuntarily. Besides, he was a guy with little appreciation for clothes.

Nothing risqué. Her face burned at the mere thought. While that might serve a purpose at a later much later date, right now it would only lead to awkwardness.

Cologne was out. In all honesty, Ino preferred nature scents, like the smell of a clean sweat and potting soil that Naruto exuded at the end of a hard day of work. She didnt want to cover that up with some cloying, stuffy cologne.

Ramen was too obvious.

Jutsu scrolls were over-rated and it wasn't like Naruto _needed_ any more jutsu to show her up with.

This had to be something special.

Ino had no idea what that would be, and even less inspiration.

Briefly, she considered weapons, but discarded that option. Naruto had never shown a proclivity for weapons. Hed always preferred using his bare hands and his wits, and maybe a trusty kunai. Reminded her of Anko. She scowled and kept walking, gazing in the show windows, eyes roaming from item to item and rejecting each with annoyance.

A picture of his family? No, he undoubtable had one by now. Hell, his dads portrait was engraved a mile high on a mountainside.

He liked to drink, and sake could be special. No, no, no! Naruto preferred the cheap stuff, and this could not be cheap. Furniture or mundane appliances were obviously not an option, what she needed, was the perfect gift.

She walked the streets, entered countless shops and browsed item after item; yet, there was nothing remotely suited to a man with a heros status and a commoners tastes. Ino was beginning to understand why they only celebrated a birthday every ten years. This was an impossible task. What in the world could she get him that he would not only appreciate, but would allow her to move their relationship to the next level?

Growing more despondent with each shop, Ino entered the last store in the row with little expectations. The selves of the shop bowed beneath the weight of a myriad of trinkets- wooden marionettes, fluted glass, steel contraptions, some looking like tools for war and others more suited for parlor tricks. It wasn't a very big shop, but there was enough of a selection that Ino didn't immediately turn and leave, and she moved quietly along a display case of older books.

The prices were high, and though she could afford them, they'd put a painful dent in her Neko-chan. Price was no object here. The issue was how suitable a gift she could find for her prey, er, friend and soon-to-be love interest. She paused, staring at the semi-faded lettering on the spine of the books, proclaiming such titles as 'Foxhound', 'Happiness, Tears and War', 'Kiss and Yell' and 'Well of Shadows'. The titles seemed to fit his personality, at least partially, but would Naruto truly appreciate such books? Studying from an armchair just wasnt his style; Ino knew that much, so she wouldnt leave this important decision to such chance.

Turning away, she drifted toward a clothing rack, where she found several different versions of the knee-length haori of which the Yondaime had been fond. Tempting, Ino would admit, but there were no bright or orange colors, and she wasnt about to waste her money. Her fingers trailed over the silk fabric absently, even as her blue eyes scanned the rest of the shop to decipher her next destination. Moving away, she drifted down the aisle of the silent shop, eyes playing hopscotch with countless gift rejects.

Then, tucked away in a far corner like a misplaced and abandoned thought, she saw a tome. It wasn't that big, maybe the length of a large book and the height of a fist, with a stylized, tulip-shaped flame forked into three tongues, with a spiral at the base. A sense of familiarity arose, followed by a vague memory.

That symbol belonged to the Yondaime.

"Oh, miss?" a voice quiered from the left. Ino glanced at the older gentleman moving toward her, noting the glasses sitting onto of his head, and the easy smile he wore. Ino knew that sort of smile, this man was the sort that could charm the panties off if he put his mind to it.

I have got to get that bell fixed. I didn't know anyone was in here till I walked by, the owner said apologetically. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Where'd you get this?" Ino asked, turning back to the item that had captured her attention.

"Oh, that, he replied, reaching her side. Nice piece, that one. My son bought it off this street vendor a few years back. Just some garbage diver who said he found it behind a warehouse."

"You mean he stole it after the Yondaime killed the Kyūbi," Ino said flatly, a flare of anger spiking at such a thought. It wasn't that someone had stolen from the village's history, but that the person had stolen something that belonged to Naruto.

"Well, perhaps normally that would be true. After that fight, much of Konoha was in ruins," the man said politely, though his tone was more strained. "My family hails from Taki no Kuni, and we moved here after it happened. From what I hear, entire homes were destroyed, so it's very possible he did simple find this."

"How much?" Ino asked curtly, not bothering to respond. This was beyond her trying to ensnare Naruto. Now it was about giving him something that he should have had years ago.

"Er, well, I never even thought to price it. It has just been sitting here for the last six years," the man said with a shrug. "If you want to come back after I give it a more thorough ex-

"Here," she said, handing the man most of the money in her purse, never taking her eyes off her prize. "There's five hundred ryou. That enough?"

"Y-yes..." the man said, startled, taking the purse. "I-I take it that you know something I don't?"

"Oh yes," Ino said, picking it up carefully, giving the man a barbed grin. "You could say that."

* * *

The main difference between training with a team and training one-on-one was the amount of frustration. When Hanabi trained with Naruto, though she was tired, sore, and plagued by evil incarnate, ultimately, she was satisfied. She didnt know if this was an indication that she should seek professional help, but she enjoyed the challenge of his extreme training and treasured the ability to discuss a technique immediately with her sensei.

With a team, the frustration was endless. There was no time to discuss anything. The exercises revolved around responding in unison and knowing how your teammates would react to different situations. Learning each others weaknesses and strengths, and then integrating those things together. There was sparring, of course, but never did you take time to understand anything. You never, honestly, learned a tenth of what you would have otherwise.

Hanabi always left her team training sessions feeling cheated.

It had been worse today, since the training session had been cut short when Naruto announced he didn't think they'd get much more done today. Hanabi understood, with what she knew of his family now, but it had been annoying. He'd immediately departed after that, Nisei had done the same, and after an unproductive attempt at getting Ino to teach her a Ninjutsu, Hanabi had been left alone.

Undoubtedly, Naruto would teach her something later today, he always taught her something extra. Still, cutting training short meant Naruto was troubled. From what little Ino had said before leaving, Hanabi gathered that Naruto's attitude was not from the death of his father.

There had to be more to it.

Unenlightened and disgruntled, Hanabi reluctantly returned home, still wondering about Naruto, though Konohamaru was at the forefront of her mind. The boy had been avoiding her lately. He'd catch sight of her and flee as if an oni were after him. If Naruto happened to be with her, the boy would scream as he fled.

Naruto would always protest his innocence.

Hanabi did not believe for one minute that Naruto was innocent, but she couldn't bring herself to be angry with him. Slightly annoyed that he would get involved with her personal life, but accepting that he would do as he pleased. Naruto was nothing if not uncontrollable.

After a quick bath and a short nap, she'd set out on the trip to her favorite Uirō stand, only to find the small shop closing up early. Endo kindly let her in to buy her food, where she now stood before the large glass display case. Eyes drifting across the various food items, she spotted her beloved treat and ordered as much as she dared.

"You must be hungry today."

"No, but you're closing and I will undoubtedly be hungry later tonight," Hanabi said with an open grin, before glancing around the deserted shop. "I know today is Day of Kyūbi, but this is a bit...empty."

"Its always the same this time of year, not that I can blame them. I'm a small shop, in an area that has a lot of bad history."

"The Uchiha Massacre," Hanabi said, taking the offered sweets. "The Kyūbi, the surprise attack later, the Chūnin Fiasco of three years agoKonoha seems to have a lot of bad history."

"I know," Endo said with a nod. "So, how's Uzumaki-san doing? Today must be especially hard for him, but I suppose as ninja you rarely notice birthdays, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Hanabi asked, on guard. For a moment, she'd thought Endo knew of the Yondaime-Naruto connection, but this was something different, something about a birthday that would bother her sensei.

"You don't...well, uh," Endo sighed, scratching his head "Sixteen years ago today, your sensei was born. Since then, he's been the last child to be born on this day in Konoha, but as far as I know he's never celebrated a birthday."

"Naruto was born on Day of Kyūbi?" Hanabi managed, voice weak as the knowledge hammered home. No wonder he seemed so strange today. Well, stranger. Today was not just the death of his father, but also the day he was born. Today, when so many mourned their lost family and friends, Naruto alone suffered the ignoble fate of entering into the world.

"Yeah, he had it kind of rough, as I remember. None of us were too kind to him, Endo admitted, looking away, fingers twitching with discomfort. We saw a lot of pain. He was a living embodiment of our greatest tragedies."

"Suddenly, I'm not hungry," Hanabi said coolly, setting the sweets on the counter.

Endo blinked, then handed her back the money and watched as she silently walked out.

Once in the street, Hanabi had to take several deep breaths to keep from exploding or from going back to Endo's shop and doing something rash.

How could they do that to Naruto, the one who suffered most? Today was not their day to mourn. It was his. He had lost his _entire_ family the same day he was born. He had grown up an orphan, shunned his whole life by an entire village on his birthday. It was criminal.

The rational part of her tried to argue that they wouldn't have shunned him if they had known of the Yondaime-Naruto connection, but Hanabi's righteous fury on the part of her adopted family would not be silenced. Ignorance was no excuse. Naruto had been a child a lonely, innocent child.

Hanabi had to do something, anything, to right this slight against someone so important to her.

If he had never celebrated a birthday, then he had never received a present.

Hanabi nodded at the thought and promptly set out with strong, confident strides to find something suitable. She was not sure what exactly that would be. Thankfully, she didn't have to spend too much time trying to figure it out. Passing in front a store, she paused, attention caught by the shirt on display. Approaching the store front, she studied the item through the window.

It was a dark orange, long-sleeved shirt with a black collar and a black dragon stretching from the left side to the opposite shoulder. While she had never liked her senseis color choice, this was perfect.

She blanched when the clerk told her the price. That was nearly all the money she had saved up.

She chewed her bottom lip and then sighed.

It was for Naruto.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was a creative person, outspoken, obnoxious even, stubborn beyond words.

He was also utterly defeated, not by an enemy ninja, but by a simple wooden door. This unremarkable door led to a storage room that, so far, had resisted all of his attempts at entry. The Yondaime had been an unequaled sealing fiend. Naruto was only a novice, which Jiraiya claimed made him an expert in Konoha, but he had tried every conceivable way of breaking the seals on the storage room.

When those all failed, he fell back on his preferred method brute strength.

He had created the most powerful Rasengan he dared and slammed it full force against the door. Instead of the expected shattering and tearing, the Rasengan merely dissipated on contact. All that chakra just gone, faster than a blink, and Naruto was left staring in annoyed awe at the damned door.

Eventually, he conceded defeat, for the moment at least, and retreated to his couch where an open manuscript sat on the table. Picking it up, he flopped onto the couch with a groan and resumed reading his fathers journal, which ranged over a wide variety of subjects. He had only found the legacy of his father because he had wanted to hide his world map and the few original drafts of the Icha Icha novel he had started writing.

Naruto immediately discarded his other taskes upon discovery of the manuscript and had spent his free time reading it. He'd heard bits and pieces of things over the years about what his father had said or thought on certain subjects, but this was different. These were his unedited thoughts and reflections, his viewpoints on politics, jutsu tips, though Naruto found himself disagreeing as much as agreeing with the man.

Currently, and much to Naruto's discomfort, his father had started talking about Jinchūriki.

The nature of Jinchūriki, is that of unnaturalness. Humans are not meant to contain such things, nor to control such Biju. To make a human into a Jinchūriki goes against the tenants of creation, and nothing good can ever arise from such a state. The possession and control of Biju perpetuates an unending cycle of hate and fear, of death and despair. It is reflected even in the term Jinchūriki, which dehumanizes the child sacrificed for the greed of their village. It will drown all in the thirst for power. The act of binding a demon to human form should be forever banned.'

Naruto paused, considering those words, how eerily similar some were to his own feelings. How ironic that a man who had gone out of his way to erase the methods from Konohas repertoire of jutsu, saved the village by creating the very thing he loathed. Naruto tossed the manuscript aside and sat up, trying to balance the thoughts and emotions tumbling inside him.

He was disturbed by a heavy knock on his door, and he glanced at his clock curiously. It wasn't too late, but the people that knew where he lived were limited. Getting up, he crossed the living room and opened the door to reveal Yamanaka Ino. She was grinning and bearing, of all things, a glossy, wrapped gift.

"Er...Ino-chan?"

"Naruto," Ino said, flashing him a smile that made him feel nervous but in a good way. After another moment, she raised an eyebrow, head tilting slightly. "Well, are you going to invite me in or do I gotta stand here all night?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, come on in," Naruto said, stepping aside for her and then closing the door. He led her into the living room "So, what brings you by?"

"Well, this actually," Ino said, turning to face him and holding out the present. Its your birthday and I wanted to, you know, return the favor.

"Oh, hehehe, you didn't have to, Naruto said, feeling his cheek heat up as he took the present. It seemed about the size of the book hed just been reading, but thicker and harder. Without further ado, he unwrapped the present. With wrapping paper pooling around his feet, he curiously studied the small box in his hands, eyes focusing on the stylized, tulip-shaped flame forked into three tongues with a spiral at the base.

"Well? Do you like it? I found it in this shop, but that's the Yondaime's signature symbol, right?" Ino asked, moving to stand closer, studying him and the box, her voice sounding oddly expectant.

"Yea," Naruto said softly, using a finger to touch the flame on the lid of the box. There was a flare of chakra, which made Naruto drop the box in surprise and watch in awe as the box morphed itself into a puzzle box in its descent, hitting the ground with a wooden thud. He hesitated, sharing a look with a startled Ino and then stooping over picked it up. "What the hell?"

"That's what I'm saying, cause it didn't react like that to me in the shop!" Ino said, taking the box and then handed it back with a frown. "Huh, what do you think?"

"Not sure," Naruto muttered, fingers absently sliding the wooden pieces around before he stopped and just stared at the box silently. At first, he had felt curious, then startled and annoyed. Now for some reason he felt anxious at the realization of what this box meant. These were given to children as toys, and the way it had reacted to him meant...

His dad had meant it for him.

It, unlike other items, provided a unique and powerful connection to his birth family. Not the manuscripts, not the stories he heard from others or the various items he found. This was special. His parents had loved him and wanted him to be happy.

Naruto was holding the childhood he had missed in his hands.

"Hey, you okay?" Ino asked, reaching out to touch one his hands.

Warm, kind, soft fingers.

He looked up at that beautiful face and he hugged her.

_Tight._

"Thank you," Naruto whispered, squeezing her as he felt her arms wrap around him. His parents would never replace the family he had now, the one he had carved for himself, but it was just as precious to him. He'd treasure this puzzle box, just as much as he had treasured the gifts Anko and Iruka had given him when he had been younger.

They promptly jerked apart as the door banged open and Anko came striding in, carrying bottles of sake, followed by Kakashi, who seemed very unsure of his presence. The Hokage looked tragically domestic carrying an orange and chocolate cake.

Anko paused just inside the house and beamed at Naruto in the way only she could manage. "So, I see we're not the only ones wanting to celebrate?" Her leer was worthy of Jiraiya.

"Don't you know your suppose to knock, ya psycho?" Naruto grinned at the woman, putting the puzzle box on the coffee table.

Anko handed off her bottles of sake to an annoyed looking Ino. "Bah, knocking is for losers," she said, putting an arm around his neck and pulling him tight against her side while offering up her own present. "Here ya go, runt, to celebrate surviving this long."

"Thanks," Naruto said, chuckling as the semi-drunk Anko moved off to bug Kakashi, who nodded at Naruto in a companionable suffering.

Naruto felt a moment of pity, but then turned back to his present, which turned out to be a pair of trench knifes. Flawlessly balance, artistic, high-quality trench knifes. "Oi, Anko, there something special about these things?"

"Of course," the woman said, reentering the living room. "You can grind wind chakra together, right? Well, you do that with those and they become wicked sharp. Badass, ain't they."

"I love 'em," Naruto said, twirling them thoughtful while trying to get a feel for them.

His play was further confounded when Jiraiya turned up, with a highly bewildered Hanabi in tow. Both offered their presents, which he gratefully accepted, from the former a scroll holder, with a scroll of family techniques and from the latter an orange and black shirt with a black dragon.

After much thanking and putting the shirt on, which caused Hanabi to smile and Ino to blush, the small group got down to the serious and loud business of celebrating his birthday. All in all, by the time the night was over, during which time they discovered Hanabi to be a mean drunk, and everyone left him to his own devices, Naruto felt that it had been the best birthday ever. The last thing he did before going to bed, despite his blurred vision from staying up so late, was try to solve that puzzle box.

He failed.

Sure was nice to have family.

* * *

AN:

****

::Omake::

"I can't stay, mom today isn't just Day of Kyūbi," Ino said then pausing glanced away "its Naruto's birthday."

"Oh," her mom said, her voice wavering "I-I had forgotten."

"So I'm going to go out, I need to get him something and then I'll surprise him," Ino explained a tiny grin forming "I'll be home tonight. I promise I won't sleep over."

"Well why not?" her mom asked sounding amused, shooting Ino a knowing look "for any guy _that_ would be a great birthday present."

"WHAT?! NO! WHY WOULD YOU EVEN-" Ino shouted, feeling as if her entire face had turned red.

"He's a guy," her mom interrupted with a smirk "he'd appreciate it more than anything you buy him. Besides, you need to do _something_ about your attitude."

"At-Attitude? WHAT ATTITUDE?!" Ino screeched, furious.

"Well, no offense dear, but you've kinda been a bitch lately. Getting laid might just do the trick."

"...I'm not hearing this," Ino muttered, staring at her mom in disbelief. No way could her _mother_ be telling Ino to sleep with a guy!

"Oh come on, you don't need to act so shy. Besides," her mom said, giving her a sly look "I've seen the looks you've been giving him after your birthday."

"MOM!" Ino screeched, horrified that this conversation was still going on.

"I'm also getting annoyed waiting on grandchildren."

"I'M NOT GOING TO SLEEP WITH NARUTO!"

"Sleep? Who said anything about sleeping?" Her mom offered with a salacious grin that made Ino want to die. Fortunately, further conversation was curtailed as both women noticed Inoichi, who had just entered the kitchen, humming loudly with his hands firmly clamped over his ears. Turning abruptly, the man walked out of the kitchen, his wife on his heels.

"Its an option, honey. There certainly are worse people to have as a son-in-law than him, he's a hero and..."

"I'm not LISTENING! LALALALAALLAALA!" Inoichi shouted over his shoulders, leading his wife further away and Ino with a thankful prayer to the kami quickly escaped out the back door. Her face, unsurprisingly, was a bright red that one could not fail to notice.


	21. Chapter 19: Kaze no Kuni

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 19:  
-_Kaze no Kuni_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

The village of Sapporo was an unremarkable place, small and quiet, lacking the luster that one would typically expect for such an important village. Sapporo was an isolated waypoint, right off the solitary path that led through the arid mountains on the southern side of the Kawara River. Due to its unique location, it held the dubious position of being the most direct route to Kazamuki, the capital at the heart of Kaze no Kuni.

Though not necessarily a river village, one could faintly see the silver strip of water from the top of the tallest building. Strategically, it was a very important village, though economically it was less than prominent. Located as it was, so far from the river and isolated from a larger oasis, the village was a shell of what one expected.

For General Fuurin Ichhae, that fact was a blessing for which he could not be thankful enough.

He had earned his rank through surviving his fair share of battles, but he was no great warrior or strategist. Nor was he entirely convinced that he could keep these men, a token force of only eight hundred, loyal to him if they were forced to battle. Due to the assignment, it had been a foregone conclusion that battle would never happen here. In theory, the enemy would attempt to enter the country far to the northeast.

There was an entire stretch of Kawara River where no mountains existed, where an enemy force could move vast numbers across the river and sweep east to capture the villages, and from there continue south toward the capital. No one would bother taking Sapporo even as the more direct route, because there was no way of secretly crossing the river with the forces that it would take to capture the city and it would be assumed the city would be well guarded.

Fuurin understood this, but still, one did not become general in Kaze no Kuni by accident. His men trained dutifully, if not willingly, he kept scouts out and he always had archers in their positions. He would not be caught unprepared if he could help it, and if he was he would have the fewest possible civilian casualties on his conscious.

Currently, he was eating a private dinner, as was his habit. This was not out of conceit or arrogance, but for two very simple facts; first, he had realized a long time ago that the men needed a chance to relax without someone in authority listening; second, he had never learned how to use the chopsticks so prolific and cherished in samurai culture. So, he ate alone. No maids to serve him, no loyal hanger-ons, he ate in private using his fingers as an uneducated person might, glad for this moment of privacy where he could relax. After dinner he would draft a letter to his wife, who was visiting her sister in the capital while he was in the field, about the separation she had requested. Then he'd probably turn in for the night and futility attempt sleep.

There was just something about being so isolated that he found both comforting and disconcerting. He was from a larger city where there was always someone nearby. He had grown up like that, packed together like rats, total strangers pressing against him or bumping into him, and nobody apologizing because all were guilty of getting in everyones way.

No wonder he had moved to the rural village where he met his wife, Komoriuta, who had recently become obsessed with forcing him to be more ambitious. He blamed the woman's sister, who was the wife of a Bunji and constantly rubbed it in his wife's face. It drove his wife crazy that he had no aspiration for fame or fortune, and instead did things at his own pace.

Things had finally come to a head when the war with Tsuchi had broken out. Komoriuta had tried to force him into taking a more important assignment, but Fuurin had been quite happy with such an unnoticeable assignment of 'guarding' the pass between the mountains. Enraged, she had left to visit her sister and asked for a temporary separation, though it was likely the first step toward divorce.

The general scowled at the table and the innocuous letter, and then resumed eating with a sigh, leaving his thoughts on the matter for after dinner. Maybe he would blow her letter off and sleep first. It seemed like a good idea, his eyes drooping lower and his stomach satiated. He was just considering cutting dinner short when an urgent knock at his door brought him back to alert.

Scowling, he cleared the evidence of his eating habits and called for the person to enter, wondering what could be so pressing that someone would interrupt his dinner. The door opened with a sharp bang as the messenger entered, his hair disarrayed and a wild look in his eyes, "My Lord!

"Calm yourself," Fuurin said, studying the breathless man. "What's the matter?"

"Tsuchi Samurai," the man said quickly. "Our scouts have reported spotting them crossing the Kawara!"

"Crossing the..." the general started and sprang to his feet, mind racing as he hurried toward the door. "How many?"

"Three thousand is our best guess," the samurai said, hurrying after him. "They'll be here a little after dawn."

"Damn it!" Fuurin said, banging his fist against his thigh in frustration. It would figure they would attack him head on, just the sort of luck he'd had all his life. The general had no delusions: Sapporo would fall. They would take as many enemy lives in return as he could manage. Gathering his nerve, he addressed his messenger with all the authority he possessed.

"I want you to find Goroda, Harima and Suwo. Tell them to meet me here immediately, and speech to no one else. Once you've contacted them, go to the messenger bird house and get three ready; one for the capital, one for Suna and one for Sakata. Then wait. I'll be there shortly."

"Yes."

Alone, the general ran a hand over the stubble on his cheek. Shrugging, he returned to his meal and quaffed his water quickly before summoning servants to remove the leftovers. Before long, dinner was replaced by his small war council, who arranged themselves around the small table to face him.

"I assume you're all aware of what we face," Fuurin said, spreading the local map across the table as he received the various confirmations. "We expect them here by dawn. Our scouts believe they'll be three thousand strong."

"Are we going to fall back?" Goroda, the youngest asked, his nervousness evident.

"No," Fuurin said, shaking his head and tracing the path with his finger. "Their numbers are impressive, but the pass will work against them. Its only wide enough to march three men abreast. By placing our best archers at key points in ambush position, they can cut down those numbers before our enemies realize they are under fire."

"Fuurin-sama, surely you can't expect to defeat that many Tsuchi samurai with only eight hundred men?" Harima, his second-in-command, murmured in disbelief. "Sheer madness!"

"We won't be just eight hundred, Harima-san," Fuurin explained patiently, though a touch annoyed at his blatant lack of faith. "While you three see to other tasks that I shall set, I will send three letters and each should reach their intended destinations in a few hours."

"What good are letters?" Goroda groaned as if defeated already.

"They'll get us reinforcements from the Daimyo, and ninja from Suna. The last one will have the most immediate effect, as it is traveling to Zataki-san. I served with him. He'll have his kokujin here by dawn. With that, we'll have at least a thousand men."

"Still, we are outnumbered three to one."

"We have advantages, though we may ultimately lose the village," Fuurin explained, returning to the map "As I said, the pass is narrow and that'll initially limit the number of men our forces will have to engage. Our archers will ambush them in the pass, and their primary goal will be to remove as many of their archers and any spearmen they can."

"What of our spearmen?" Suwo asked, studying the map intently.

"They'll provide cover as our archers pull back. Then they'll retreat as well, with the pass and the dead bodies, the Tsuchi should have a hard time pursuing. In the meantime, our forces will have returned to the fortified village. Archers take up key points in any tall building, taking out more as they attack, perhaps using flame arrows once the village is forfeit." Fuurin paused to meet his mens gaze. At their hopeful stares, he continued quickly, "Don't assume this will win the day. Despite our attacks, their numbers might still enable them to sweep into the village, especially if we receive no reinforcements from the Daimyo."

"So once they enter the village, its all over?" Suwo asked sourly, his eyes hooded.

"Not quite, we'll have dozens of strong points that can hold out for extended periods of time, as well as false ones to confuse the enemy. Intersections will be the key to our defense; our infantry will lure the enemy to these intersections where they'll be ambushed by our spearman and archers."

"I see, and then what?" Goroda asked, his tone less than enthusiastic.

"Ultimately, we fall back one last time. Tsuchi will pour into the village after our men, but by then the Suna ninja will arrive. Once we've got our men clear or as many as we can, we destroy the village and seal the pass. At the very least, this should slow their progress even further. By the time they finally do reach the other side, we'll have an unstoppable force there to give them a warm welcome to Fire Country."

"Thats better conceived than most plans," Harima said grudgingly. "I wish all our generals could remain as clam as you in a crisis."

"Just years of experience, Fuurin finished unenthusiastically, tapping the map with an idle finger. I've been in far too many loosing battles."

* * *

The desert talked to him, whispered soothingly to him, an odd discord to the way his mother addressed him. The brushing of sand was like the sigh of a lover, the coolness of night a comfort against the blood-fever that burned within him. The forlorn sigh of wind as it waltzed among the bone-dry plants and animals, the unrelenting sun beating down on the hills of white, coral and camel. The desert was his home, his womb, more than the village that caged him had ever been. This connection had deepened, without his notice or effort, over the years. He and the desert were almost a single entity; every life that touched the sand was privy to his attention. He had no words to express what this felt like, no desire to give name to the constant sensation, but still he reveled in the knowledge of his belonging.

Nothing could surprise him; not the scorpion as it crawled toward a sleeping Temari, or the snake that slithered near the medic of his team, or the Iwa ninja foolishly spying on their camp. All three were crushed ruthlessly, without warning or hesitation, because that was his will. Sabuku no Gaara controlled this world, and he would have no harm come to the only one that held a special place within his heart.

The medic, of course, was simply lucky that he had been assigned to keep Temari safe. But Temari, his sister and lover, she alone existed in Gaara's heart. She alone received his devotion, his protection, despite the knowledge he bore of the betrayal she would eventually commit.

**_'All things betray.'_** his mother whispered, crawling silently from the gourd to crush Temari, before Gaara stopped her.

He knew that all things betrayed. Gaara did not delude himself. Family, love, friendship, they all eventually gave way to betrayal in some form or fashion. All save the desert and his mother; they had never betrayed him and never would, for they were all one and the same. Yet, he could not bring himself to kill Temari for a future betrayal, despite his mothers urgings.

Like his connection with the desert and sand, the connection he shared with her escaped him.

He had terrorized her when they were growing up, but she had resolutely cheered him, had protected him at his weakest, watched over him as he slept. Had cried and screamed their first time together because he had not been gentle, yet returned the next night. Willingly. She had killed her only friend to keep them from assassinating him.

Gaara sighed ever so softly, head tilting as he reached out with a finger to trace a soft cheek. Temari made a small noise of approval, and opened her eyes to peek at him. It would be so easy, he mused, to kill her now and be done with it. Instead, he continued to stroke her cheek until she closed her eyes, resuming her slumber.

Pulling his finger away, he stared at her, knowing that he would ruthlessly crush and destroy her when the time came. Temari was indeed lucky. She had unlocked what little humanity he had left, so he stayed his hand.

For the moment.

Everything betrays, after all.

* * *

The preparations were going smoothly, or as smoothly as possibly. The men were uneasy with the odds they faced, uncertain as their officers hissed near silent orders. Fuurin felt a ravenous doubt gnawing at his stomach, as he mentally rehashed his tenuous strategy. So much depended on others on the birds, on their enemies falling coyly into their trap. Still, his war council had approved. Their plans were sound, for the most part.

Shaking his head, he roamed through where the civilians were gathering for the long trek southward to the capital. Many looked at him with nervousness, while others glared at his presumption to send them out of their homes. He didn't care. His most important job was ensuring their survival, and if they remained they had no hopes of that. Tsuchi forces did not enslave, they did not capture: They exterminated. He knew it from firsthand experience, having persevered through numerous encounters with them in the last war. He had almost always been the lone survivor of his unit, and through luck or cowardice he'd carried on where others died. He'd seen the horrors Tsuchi inflicted on those villages they overran, seen things that could never be unseen.

They were monsters, animals of the worst kind, and he would be damned before he let them have more innocent Kaze no Kuni blood.

"Is this everyone?" Fuurin asked, approaching the anxious samurai in charge of this assignment.

"Yes," the man said quickly, bowing so deep that it was almost amusing.

"Very good," the general said, then paused to address the young man fondly. "You have the most important mission in this battle. These people must be delivered safely to the capital, am I understood, _captain_?"

"Y-yes," the man said again, bowing low once more, but obviously pleased with the promotion in rank.

"Good, then you have permission to leave," Fuurin said and then strode off, tuning out the man as he barked orders to the few other guards that would help him herd the civilians. He checked fortifications and troops, doing what he did best and giving the men a show of leadership, but in the back of his mind he wondered how many would break and flee when they saw the sheer number of the enemy.

By the time he finished his inspection of the various fortifications and talked with his war council once more, it was three in the morning. Dawn was only three hours away and a horrible dread stalked the abandoned village and the troops contained in its meager walls. This was never meant to be a fort. This was no place for a last stand. Fuurin could only flex his hand against the shaft of his sword, doubt ceaselessly chewing at his innards.

"My lord!"

Startled, he turned to find his Gennin Sohai hurrying forward, a tall man following behind him. Sohai seemed anxious, but Fuurin focused on the other man, with grey hair but a powerful build. Ikawa Zataki, perhaps the fiercest samurai and battle commander Fuurin had ever known, a man that for unknown reasons thought highly of him.

"Fuurin Ichhae, it is good to see you again," Zataki said an easy grin as they drew close.

"Ikawa-san, you have no idea how good it is to see you again," Fuurin replied, then nodding in dismissal at Sohai he addressed the older man. "I'm very glad to see that you answered my call, I was worried..."

"Bah, as if I'd miss the chance to help an old friend," Zataki said with a dismissive wave. "Besides, youre a General, and I'm only a lowly kokujin. How could I not show up when you call for help?"

"Heh, well even with your help I doubt this will end well for us," Fuurin said, then seeing the curious look on the older man's face explained. The man nodded, crossing his arms and then listening with deepening interest as Fuurin laid out their battle plans. Zataki nodded in agreement, his grin growing before it faded.

"You seem to have things well in hand," Zataki said after a moment, looking around, "though I am surprised youre so willing to deny the chance at repelling the enemy completely."

"Even with your two hundred men, we are still too unevenly mismatched; they're going to sweep over this village through sheer numbers," Fuurin explained tiredly. "That's why my goal is to hold out until the Suna ninja arrive. Once we pull out, they'll destroy the village."

"The numbers are not _that_ uneven," Zataki said with a snort of amusement. "I brought a friend, Shinjo Akimasa, and his forces give you access to fifteen hundred troops total between the three of us. Another friend, Hirada Toshimiori should arrive at dawn, bringing that number to an even two thousand."

"Ikawa-san, I appreciate the aide, which goes far beyond your generous disposal," Fuurin said, despairing at the thought of even more deaths, "but I'm not the General to whom you should entrust so many lives. I am a mediocre strategist, and a poor warrior, so at best I am-"

"Don't sell yourself too short, my friend," Zataki interrupted curtly. "Maybe youre neither of those things, but you are a leader. You obviously have common sense, if you have gathered a war council and actually _listen_ to what they say, something not even our current Daimyo or the more famous generals do. The strategy you have is sound. Leadership is what we need here, not a grand strategy."

"Ikawa-san," Fuurin said with a hint of exasperation. "Have it your way. Bring your men in; you know the plan, so assign them as you see fit."

"Yes sir."

Watching the older man stride away, Fuurin shook his head, sure that he was going to get everyone killed.

* * *

The Yondaime Kazekage was not a man of great power, strong to be sure, but there were others stronger. The Yondaime Kazekage had no delusions of love or utter loyalty from the populace. The only reason, the single reason he had achieved power, came from the fact that he understood how to keep power. The secret lay in winning enough battles, a few careful words to the right people already in positions of power. Eventually, your reputation earned you power and from there the keeping of it was simple. All you had to do was prove that you could use that power wisely, that you were not an insane narcissist that would play the hocchiku as the village crumbled.

Standing on the ridge of the cliffs that surrounded Suna, staring off at the distant Imperial Dunes as the sun rose, he reflected on the path that had brought him to this moment. He had been born to an unimpressive family, but had proven his worth as a tactical leader during the last war, ultimately leading to his appointment as Kazekage over stronger ninja. After that, everything he had done, he had done for both Suna and to keep his power.

When the insane tyrant of a Daimyo began reducing their military power, he had started new programs. Fewer, but better trained ninja, attempts at forming an alliance with Konoha and turning his third child -his _legacy_- into the monster known as a Jinchūriki. He had even given his only daughter to that insane beast his wife had spawned so that the weapon would remain loyal. All of this, and now he faced a war where they had no way for them to win. He had no delusions about that; there was no way to win this war, not against Tsuchi no Kuni.

The Tsuchi Daimyo controlled nearly every aspect of the countrys conduct, both public and private, along with the economy; he used Iwagakure to enforce his will and the smallest hint of dissent or criticism would lead to instant death. Even more frightening, after so many years of living under such control, the civilians, the samurai and the ninja believed that they're Daimyo and Tsuchikage were infallible.

The brainwashing had been so complete, the people now so hysterically loyal to their leaders, that when ordered to war they did so with an unmatched fanaticism. They slaughtered _every_ living thing that opposed them and the only way to survive was to ruthlessly slaughter as many of them as you could. That was the secret to why Konoha had won its war against them, they had fought on their level until Tsuchi had surrendered.

Suna however, had no such chance, because though Suna ninja could be ruthless, eventually everyone would grow sick of the mindless slaughter. It was the way war worked; namely, fight and kill until one-side grew sick enough to surrender, unless you were Tsuchi. They only stopped when faced with extinction and after that they marked you as their special enemy.

That was why the Kazekage had sent Gaara and his team behind enemy lines. If there was a single ninja in Suna that would never tire of slaughter it would be Gaara. Still, Suna and hence Kaze no Kuni, had no chance at survival. Their military was already small and against Tsuchi they would dwindle faster than a snowball in a firestorm.

Only a mass exodus, leaving the desert to Tsuchi no Kuni, would spare any of them. A large problem with that came from which country would take them in; the choices were limited after all. Kusa no Kuni, Kaminari no Kuni, Mizu no Kuni would never take them in, the only semi-feasible option would be Hi no Kuni.

"Kazekage-sama!"

"Eh?" the man said, turning to stare at the messenger ninja that came hurrying toward him. "What is it?"

"Urgent messages," the man said quickly, then seeing the sudden attention from his leader bowed quickly. "The first one is from the Daimyo."

"What does he want?"

"It is," the man hesitated and then gulped. "Sire, its his death poem. He's committed seppuku."

"WHAT?!" the Kazekage shouted, eyes widening as his mind raced with the implications.

"H-his wife, the Lady Kajiku, sent the second message. The armies to the northeast have rebelled against Kaze no Kuni, and they've joined with Tsuchi no Kuni to march on the capital. Many generals have followed the Daimyo's example, some governors as well. The capital is in a panic, the country is falling apart."

"How many Samurai were in the armies of the northeast?"

"One hundred thousand, under the command of General Igurashi," the messenger answered promptly, then at the Kazekage's worried look took a deep breath. "The third message came by way of one of our spies. She confirmed the other two messages and that General Fuurin in Sapporo has request reinforcements, Tsuchi has crossed the river and they expect the army of three-thousand to reach them shortly after morning."

"I, send..." the Kazekage said, then paused, mind befuddled at the rapid developments. The armies of the northeast were in rebellion, which was almost the entire Samurai force of Kaze no Kuni. How and why? Tsuchi had accepted their allegiance?! More enemies pouring in through Sapporo, a village that nobody had thought much of, how stupid to attack there, but how brilliant all the same for its ingenuity.

"Kazekage-sama? Are you okay?"

"Yes," the man said, forcing his mind to work. "I want every messenger bird we have out. Order all our ninja back here. Tell General Fuurin as well and have him retreat immediately. Also, make sure to tell the various kokujin what's happened and that they should make their way here. Most importantly, send our fastest bird to Konoha to ask for sanctuary for our civilians."

"Hai!"

* * *

The wind howled as the massive fan, opened completely, slashed through the air, causing the swarm of bees to crash to the ground. Temari hefted her fan in both hands. Shoulders burning, she completed a back swing, swirling the air into another defensive wall of wind. For every hundred bees she brought down, more would rush toward her.

Panting, the Suna kunoichi paused in her efforts to survey the battle. The medic was busy cowering and Gaara had the two males and their swarms all to himself. Grimacing at the sharp sting, she turned her attention back to her own opponent, sweeping away her swarm of bees with a wave of her massive fan and then sent a Kamaitchi at the other woman. Only to have it avoided by a bunshin made of bees, which made even Temari wince in sympathy for the horrible little insects.

Bracing her feet, Temari began scanning her surroundings, looking for the brown-haired bitch. She would give them the fact that they had carefully thought out their ambush, but then again the Kamizuru Clan were not known for stupidity. Ambitious, annoying, cocky but only rarely stupid. Apparently, they had decided to use the giant summons to get in range before swooping down on them with the sun at their backs, making them almost impossible to spot.

Gaara had made short work of the bee, ruining their ambush before it had really begun. Temari could still remember the look of sheer surprise on their faces and almost laughed. Still, they had been quick to get out of the path of danger. For the most part. Unfortunately, they weren't aware that Gaara had a nasty habit of playing with his victims before slaughtering them.

"Don't get distracted, you sand slut!" the woman screamed from behind her.

Rounding on a heel, Temari saw the highly concentrated swarm hurtling toward her. Smirking, she brought her fan around completely, blasting the area with a full force Dai Kamitichi. The resulting blast shredded the bees, tore large sections of sand out of the ground and sent them, along with the blade of wind, into her enemy.

Completing her swing, one arm held vertical high into the air and the other tucked to her side, she watched with a dark grin as the girls torso slipped sideways before separating from her hips in a spray of blood. Sweeping the fan back down and to the left, Temari shut the fan once before sweeping it to the right and shutting it a second time. With a twirl, she shut it completely and brought it to rest on her shoulder. Studying her opponents body for a moment, wondering fleetingly if Gaara's nature was rubbing off on her, Temari shrugged and relished the satisfaction of victory.

Hearing a scream, more like a high-pitched squeal, she turned her attention to her brother, who had just snapped his hand shut to complete his Sabaku Sousou, leaving just one Iwa ninja left. The thin man wearing the glasses, with stupidly styled blond hair, seemed to stare in a sort of sickened fashion at the bloody lump of sand that had been his partner before turning to flee the battle. Unsurprising, Temari had seen battle-hardened men twice his age flee after such a display, but what did strike her as odd was his decision to attack her as he retreated.

No bees, simply taijutsu, an overhand right that Temari neatly sidestepped. Her closed fan blocked his back fist and side-kick combo, though she slid from the impact of the kick. Twirling the fan, Temari deflected several shuriken and kunai, before glaring at the man wondering what he had in mind if he had been so intent on retreat-

Gaara!

Of course, he had put her between him and Gaara. Could he really be that oblivious to the fact that it didn't matter who was in front of Gaara, that they were in the middle of a freaking desert? She blocked the next barrage of weapons and tried to reverse positions, but he kept Temari firmly between her murderous brother and him.

Temari sensed Gaara's gaze focused on her. She caught a brief glimpse a second later of him watching their fight, his face an emotionless mask, his gaze unnervingly flat and yet...

She shivered at the intensity, before focusing on the battle once more. Her opponent separated for a brief moment, putting space between them before he charged forward yet again, hands sweeping back as a buzzing filled the air. It was obvious he had some big technique to try, but Temari wouldn't let him. She decided to end the fight quickly.

Jerking her arm to the side, she subtly attached a chakra string and then jerked her hand forward, hurling her fan at the man using the power of the Fūton: Reppushou. The timing was perfect. The high-speed fan slammed into the man's face with a sickening crunch and a spray of blood. His body back flipped from the force, even as she tugged the weapon back using the chakra string. Catching it, she let out a breath, for the first time actual grateful that Kankarou had been a puppet user who had been willing to teach her. Wearily hefting the weapon, she slid it home into the back of her sash and then glanced at the medic, before snorting in contempt.

Father had insisted on the man for her safety, but he had yet to do anything useful. Gaara had been protecting her on this extended mission behind enemy lines and she had gained strength with each battle, but the medic simply cowered or ran. She wondered if telling Gaara to kill the man would be wrong. After all, it wasn't like he had grown up with Gaara and medic's _were_ supposed to remain out of combat to heal the team later.

"You should be more careful," a dull voice said from her side.

Turning her head slightly, she found her brother standing beside her. His emotions were still hidden by his blankness, but his closeness and the words told her more than enough. He was worried about her; she had to fight the tiny grin that wanted to form. "Why?" Temari asked arching an eyebrow, almost teasing, but mostly wondering at the response she would get. He normally kept any hint of his feelings well hidden, even from her. This was a large slipup, this showing of humanity.

"I think..." Gaara said then paused, his eyes showing a hint of uncertainty as he gazed at her. "I would miss you."

For Temari, it was like she'd just become Kazekage.

* * *

Studying the reports they had received during the last hour of battle left Fuurin with a sour taste in his mouth, even while his war council celebrated in the as of yet untouched command post. The reason for their celebration was that Tsuchi had relented after nearly three hours of prolonged assault, though they only did so because they were not used to warring in such dry heat. Fuurin saw no reason to celebrate. Things had gone far too badly for him to take much comfort in the temporary respite.

The battle had started, not as they had expected immediately after sun up, but four hours later when everyone had begun to relax. The ambush in the pass, so carefully planned, had crumbled since Iwa had expected archers. By using the Hoshi formation, along with shields, Tsuchi had forced their archers to retreat or be killed where they stood.

The first fortifications had been overrun in an hour through sheer numbers, but the secondary had held, if only by a hairs breadth longer. More troops had been sent forward to try and hold the line, a tenuous prospect to be sure, but it had held for the last two hours. However, the cost had been nearly a thousand of his only recently acquired two thousand men. That mean that for every one of his samurai the enemy had two, or at least that was the estimate that Zataki, Akimasa and Toshimori had given him. They were acting as his field commanders, despite all of them being veterans compared to him, so he had little choice but to trust their opinions. Currently, they were busy checking over the fortifications, but would report in soon enough.

Fuurin could only hope that the reinforcements from the Capital arrived soon, along with the Suna ninja. If neither arrived, he had no idea what he would do other than pray. Not that he expected Shine-Tsu-hiko, the patron god of all Kaze no Kuni, to actually offer a helping hand in this situation.

Setting the reports aside, the General looked out the window of the command post to study the village below them. The building they had selected wasn't the tallest or the most impressive, but furthest away from the battles and tall enough that he could survey the troops and guide the battle. Movement caught his attention and he looked toward it to discover the carrier bird flying in a direct line toward the bird coop.

He couldn't tell, but it looked larger than the type the Daimyo used. That would mean the Kazekage had sent a response, but what good were responses without ninja or reinforcements? Still, he wondered what message had been sent and struggled to ignore the dark foreboding creeping in his mind.

"Fuurin-sama," a deep, respectful voice said from his left and he turned to find Shinjo Akimasa, flanked by the other two. "We've had the fortifications strengthened with what we could. However, its doubtful that they'll last long under another assault like this morning."

"No surprise," Fuurin murmured sighing. "How many men do we have left?"

"Fourteen hundred and fifty," Akimasa responded, eyes tightening. "We lucked out that there were no Iwa ninja present."

"True," Fuurin agreed, stomach tightening as he realized for the first time that there had been no ninja. Why though? They should have crossed the river with the samurai. If the enemy had been smart enough to bring shields, why no ninja who could have handled this whole affair within minutes? It was a nagging question for which Fuurin could see no rational answer, no matter how he turned it around in his head.

"Fuurin-sama, we only have a few hours left before they attack again-" Many of his war council jeered at this, much to the three men's anger, but before the General could stop the impending shouting, his attention was diverted to someone else.

The young man, a boy really, dressed in a cheaply made outfit and armor entered holding a message. From his countenance, Fuurin knew immediately that the message he bore was of the utmost importance. He watched the boy hurry across the room, squeezing between surprised men until he stood before Fuurin and offered the message properly. Taking the rolled parchment, he offered a curt nod of dismissal before he broke the seal. He read the words, though at first they didn't register, almost like an out of body experience. Then reality crashed down on him and he felt his hands tremble as he reread the ill-omened message that he now held.

"Fuurin-sama?" someone asked, but the general ignored them. Instead his mind raced toward what he had to do, the steps to be taken, because the time they would have was unbearably short.

"We're retreating," Fuurin said, not looking up from the letter, heart pounding in his ears. "Zataki-san, start sending the men out of the village. The one's furthest away from the front line fortifications first, working your way forward. Shinjo-san, Hirada-san, find all the sake or other explosive chemicals you can and pour them into the underground water tank. It should be nearly empty by now..."

"General, what's going on?" Goroda asked, his tone demanding and brash.

"We're retreating," the general repeated, still not looking up from the message. "I want you and the others to oversee the men as they move south, toward Suna."

"Suna?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Fuurin said, finally looking up, his face hard. "Zataki-san, I'm placing you in charge. Stop at the capital and take everyone that wants to go, travel light and fast, trust nobody until you reach the Hidden Village."

"What about you?"

"Somebody has to stay behind," Fuurin said with a shrug. "This place has to go up in flames. They cant have the pass; its too valuable. Now get your asses moving. You don't have much time."

Nobody moved.

"Go, that's an order!"

They went.

* * *

The desert was a vast, hard landscape of imposing sand dunes, stretching away to distant arid mountains. Silence the order of the mid-afternoon day, even as sand swirled through the dry air. There was an odd beauty to this place, and it was thrilling to find life thriving in such an unforgiving landscape. Growing up in the desert, survival was dependant on knowledge of the land.

Unfortunately for Shihen Isho, Suna medic assigned permanently to Team Gaara, his existence no longer depended on the desert but rather on keeping Temari healthy, which in turn would keep Gaara from killing him.

So far he had been successful in this goal, which meant that upon return to Suna at the end of the war he'd be promoted to Jōnin. That was if he survived the various Iwa ninja that kept ambushing them and Gaara's own murderous rages. Walking at the rear of the team, wary of ambushes that seemed to come anytime he was off guard, the nineteen-year-old medic considered his realistic chances of survival.

They were not encouraging; they were behind enemy lines and his direct superior was a sociopath.

He found it almost amusing, but one would never think Gaara of all people would be able to care for someone. Gaara had been _that_ creature, the one that even older ninja feared, because of his lack of connection to the world. The red-headed boy stared with those cold, disdainful eyes, even as the sand crushed the life out of screaming victims, and never once did he care for anyone but himself.

But he did, Gaara loved Temari. Isho had slowly come to the conclusion during the months he had been trapped in the desert with the two, and even more surprising was the fact that Temari seemed to love Gaara back. The medic had expected Temari to be resentful or cold, hateful even, about the situation into which she had been forced. The girl was cold and hateful at times, though not from being Gaara's lover. She simply didn't like Isho.

Shaking his head, the medic turned his thoughts toward dinner, having run out of things to think about and conversation did not extend beyond basics. Small desert game again, but that was to be expected. Of course that was only if anyone felt it worth the effort, otherwise they'd just attack some poor Iwa ninja or samurai group and take their food. Actually, knowing Gaara they would probably do that anyway. The boy had a real proclivity for killing as much as possible.

Isho blinked, coming out of his thoughts at an odd sound. Wind? Maybe a distant thunder? Looking around he found the others standing still as well, searching for the source of the noise. It seemed to be getting louder, closer, but still he didn't see anything until Temari cried out, drawing attention to the three-bladed scythe now a foot away from her.

Where had that come from!?

The weapon was deflected away from Temari a moment later by a shield of sand, courtesy of Gaara, and Isho watched as it rebounded almost expertly back to the hand of a man wearing a black cloak with red clouds. Eyes widening, Isho shifted nervously as he studied the man, wondering at the skill needed to get this close to attack them. After all, Gaara could feel and track anything that moved in the desert and this man wasn't cheating by riding a flying insect.

His thoughts were further disrupted as the sand around the man exploded upward, trying to snare the interloper. The scythe wielder dodged nimbly even as a bolt of lightning came from out of nowhere. Isho and Temari both moved in time to avoid the blast, though the sand was turned into glass, and another cloaked man appeared.

"I thought for sure I had her," the man with the scythe said, palming the side of his head. "Seriously, just because my attacks are so slow I can't hit anything."

"Hidan, I would worry more about the boy that just tried to crush you," the other man said dryly. "Besides which, you were suppose to kill the medic, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, but she was more inviting."

Isho blinked and stared between the two ninja. Thanks to a honed fight or flight instinct and a deductive mind, he decided to beat a hasty retreat. He was already underpowered against the normal ninja they had encountered, against those two he had no doubt he'd last no more than a full second. There was no promotion in the world worth the death that would greet him if he remained there.

This was his last thought before the sand engulfed him and crushed the life from his bones.

* * *

Temari eyed the two opponents warily, one word flashing in her mind 'Akatsuki', unsure of what her role in this battle would be. The last time she had faced men wearing black cloaks with red clouds she had been next to useless. True, she had been working harder lately and had a few new tricks, but ultimately she doubted that she could match up to anyone who had earned the dubious privilege of wearing one of those cloaks.

The two men seemed utterly uninterested in attacking and were busy bickering over something inane. This gave Temari the chance to glance at Gaara, to see why he had yet to go for the kill. The boy in question was staring at her, his frost green eyes showing hesitation and it struck Temari like a sledge hammer to the stomach.

Gaara was hesitating because he didn't want her to get hurt, he had said it that morning 'I would miss you'. Just when his humanity had begun to return, when he finally seemed to be establishing real ties to the world, he now felt for the first time the fear of losing someone precious to him. It had crippled him, he couldn't fight like he needed too because he feared losing her.

If she stayed they would both die, if she left he would feel as if she had abandoned him. If she didn't leave he would die, if she did leave he would live but hate her. It was amazing how much one could think about in a single wasted moment and ultimately Temari chose life for him and turning hurled her closed fan at her enemy.

The two sprang apart as if startled and Temari started running, using the chakra string attached to her fan to pull it back to her grasp. A flick of the wrist opened the giant fan and then she jumped, using it to sail into the distance. Turning, she saw one of them chasing after her amid the shouts of the other, but her gaze was fixed on those sea foam eyes.

"I'll be back," she whispered, knowing that he would not be able to hear. The air currents shifted, carrying her up and to the left. Temari grimaced. She hadn't sailed as far as she preferred, but there was no point in wasting chakra, for she had little enough as it was. The fan drifted low and Temari jumped, grabbing the end of the fan and flipping it up behind her as she turned to wait for her enemy.

The man was only a few moments behind, cresting the sand dune. Arrogant smirk, pale skin, light brown hair. His partner had called him Hidan. Temari struck with a rapid pair of massive Dai Kamaitachi that annihilated the sand dune he was on. Panting, weight still shifted to her front foot from the blow, she watched with narrowed eyes.

A minute passed...

...then another...

...then another...

A hand suddenly shot up from under the blasted area, followed by a shoulder and upper body. Hidan leveraged himself up, looking as if he had taken the attack head on, but his smirk was bigger. He looked at her and stood, leaning on his three-bladed scythe, a manic gleam in his eyes as he started toward her once more.

"Good, great, you might actually be able to kill me. Praise to Jashin," Hidan said, closing the distance at a leisurely pace.

"You want to die?" Temari found herself asking, readying herself for the looming fight.

"Yes, it would be the best way to serve my lord, Jashin. Death, mine or the enemys, that's why I gambled on chasing you," Hidan said, coming to a stop, feet shoulder width apart, a cocky tilt of his head as he smirked at her. "I've already betrayed the tenants of my faith once, we're not allowed to kill Jinchūriki..."

"You're insane," Temari muttered, then dodged the scythe as it came slashing at her. Skidding to a stop, she swung her fan through the air. Overhead the sky darkened, as if a storm was brewing, then with a roar a tornado dropped down to engulf Hidan. Skipping back and using chakra to hold her position against the vacuum from the whirlwind, she grimaced when she saw blood and heard the manic laughter from the man caught in the 'Fūton: Tatsu no Ooshigoto'.

The tornado slacked a minute later, allowing Temari a glimpse at the faint outline of her enemy. Hidan was still standing, but that could be because of the jutsu rather than actually being alive. When the tornado finally died, Temari was treated to the sight of a grinning man, covered with cuts that would have left others dead or on the verge of it. Yet, Hidan was upright of his own power and he seemed on the verge of rapture from the pain. Then he attacked, forcing her to dodge and weave, using her experience of fighting on sand to its utmost. With each attack his three bladed scythe got a little faster, came a little closer to gutting her, but there was no way she could retreat. He was crazy enough that hed pursue her through the desert.

Skidding to a halt, a cloud of sand and dust rising, she brought her giant fan around, unleashing another full powered Dai Kamaitachi. The sand kicked up and shot forward, carried by her wind, the invisible blades lashing out at the Jashin worshipper. He weathered the storm without an obvious sign of approaching death, and when it was over he attacked once more.

"He can't be immortal," Temari muttered frantically, as she used her fan to deflect the attack, moving back further, trying to get a range of his weapon. She was forced to deflect another attack almost immediately. This time, he began to smear blood into an ominous design on the sand as he reeled in the weapon.

Instinct told Temari this development was not good; hence, she promptly attacked, this time with a normal Kamaitachi. The result was for a tornado to throw Hidan into the air and hold him aloft while digging deep into his flesh with invisible blades of wind. As the move faded, Temari was already on the move, scattering the blood covered sand and destroying his symbol.

It wasn't until he landed, amid laughter that sent a cold shiver her up back, that he noticed her trick.

"You dirty bitch, how dare you desecrate my ritual for Jashin!"

The Suna Jōnin ignored his shout and instead smeared blood from her thumb against the fan and swung it, summoning a weasel, Kamaitachi. The small black and white creature hurled itself immediately at her enemy, the various scythes it carried causing a wide swath of destruction. Hidan reeled from the attack, dropping his weapon before losing his balance and collapsing on his back. With one last attack, Kamaitachi leapt into the air and disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Temari to catch her breath and try to assess her tenuous victory.

She was just beginning to think that to be the case when the bastard started stirring, first a leg then an arm and eventually he sat up. The look on his face was sheer rapture, and her eyes dilated in real fear, the ancient terror awakening like a serpent in her gut. He retrieved his three-bladed scythe and began to laugh, a deep belly laugh that dug claws into her spine.

What did it take to kill this guy? Eyes narrowing, Temari decided to pull out all the stops. Twirling her fan overhead, she darted forward, snapping it open. Hidan was once more on his feet and hurled his weapon at her, and Temari brought her giant fan forward, creating a wall of sand to deflect the attack, then repeated the move several more times as the weapon rebounded back and then came at her once more.

It was a costly trick she had figured out; the amount of chakra she had to use to form her version was easily triple what Gaara used. Using it in conjuncture with her only wind jutsu that didn't use her fan, 'Kaze no Yaiba', left her feeling the drain quicker than she would have liked. Repeated use of the A-rank jutsu didn't seem to be doing the trick and Temari only had one more move to try.

Timing the three blade scythes next attack, Temari jumped, aiding her leap with a jutsu she had picked up from Naruto, while giving herself an intentional spin. Bringing her arms back at the peak of her arc and spinning, she used her giant fan to funnel almost all that remained of her chakra through the air and then sent her attack hurling at the seemingly immortal man below.

Walls of sand exploded high into the air, several deep gouges ripping across the countryside, as if a dragon had swiped its claws through the desert. Hence the name of the move 'Tsume no Amakakeru Ryuu' the only S-rank jutsu she knew. Shifting her weight, Temari used her fan to slow her descent. As her feet touched the sand, she stumbled.

Her head was swimming, her mouth felt stuffed with cotton, and she wanted to do nothing more than sleep for a year. Knees giving out, she collapsed, fan tumbling from her weak fingers. Her breathing was labored and she realized almost dimly that she had used more chakra than she intended in that last move, but as the rain of sand and dust settled over the area, it was clear it had finally done the one thing nothing else had.

Fluttering in the breeze there was the tattered remains of a black cloak.

"Gaara," Temari murmured, struggling her way to a half-crouch. She started forward, then collapsed face first into the sand. Panting, she didn't rest and forced her way up, almost crawling. Reaching the peak of a new sand dune created from her last attack, her head swam and she tumbled head first down the side and then slid to a rest at the base.

She tried to lift her arm, tired to roll over and move, but her arms felt so heavy and darkness was encroaching on her vision. So heavy.

Gaara, she rasped.

Digging deep, she found the strength to rise and start off once more. Chakra exhaustion or not, she would prove that she had not betrayed him by fleeing.

* * *

Gaara moved quickly across the sand, almost gliding, while the enemy moved to dodge awkwardly. Honestly, Gaara could bind the man at any point and use his sand to grind the enemy into nothing. Instead Gaara toyed with the man, pretending that the unusual way the Akatsuki agent's arms extended from his body with black tendrils surprised him, to buy time.

He had other things occupying his thoughts at the moment; the insistent whispers of his mother that Temari had abandoned him. The surprising fear that Gaara had been unaware of, now gnawing at his heart. Because even if Gaara knew that Temari had not really abandoned him, that instead she had forced the enemy to split their forces, the fear would not die. Despite his foreknowledge, despite his preparation for this day, the hint of her betrayal terrified him. If she abandoned him, then Gaara would be alone, because even the desert and his mother could not offer the same comfort as Temari.

So as he directed his sand in the lopsided fight, Gaara tried to soothe both mother and the fear gnawing at his heart. Because he knew that Temari did not abandon him, she was trying to protect him as best she could. He refused to accept that Temari would abandon him now, later possibly, but not now

_But all things betray. His mother whispered, and crawled up into his brain._

_Not yet!_ Gaara snarled, lashing out with his will, making sand explode upward to drive the Akatsuki back. She would not betray him now. His mother reacted by flooding his mind with images, her body cruelly twisted and bloodied, the sort of image that he would have found darkly amusing before Temari had grown important to him.

Lashing out again, the sand groped outward at the only target available. Grasping the man, the sand whipped him side to side before slamming the Akatsuki agent painfully into the ground. The desert rushed to bury his stunned opponent, to crush the life from him, while Gaara argued against his mothers images and whispers.

_Temari will not betray me._ Gaara thought firmly, lifting his arm and snapping his hand into a fist, initiating the Sabaku Kyuu. Lowering his arm, his mother silent, the Jinchūriki turned his attention to the lump of sand he had just used.

Where was the blood, the screams, the pleading? Obviously the man would not die as easily as this, which was proven when the tip of a finger wormed its way through the compressed sand. Gaara watched, wondering at what this could mean, as the sand crumbled to a pair of hands digging free from the inside.

The Akatsuki agent emerged, regaining his feet slowly. So the man could withstand being crushed. Interesting. Gaara was not so distracted by his musings that he missed the Akatsuki agent launching into a series of hand seals followed by emitting a large jet of fire.

Gaara didnt blink as the sand shield leapt into action, defending against the blast of fire. He didnt simply defend, reaching his arms out as he extended his will into the surrounding sand before jerking chunks skyward. Shaping and molding the clumps of sand, he brought them back down with a sharp motion of his hands, surrounding the target with pikes of sand.

The crackle of electricity and a scream brought a smile to Gaaras normally emotionless face.

Satisfied that the fight was finished, Gaara turned away from the still form, intent on tracking down Temari. After all, his sister was fighting one of these agents alone and she was not strong enough to last in that fight. Strange how determined he was to ensure her safety, though when they were younger he would have left Temari to her fate.

A shift in the sand behind him was the only warning he had and Gaara rounded in time to have his shield of sand deflect a mass of black trendils. As the attack subsided, Gaara stared at the once more upright enemy, along with the oozing black mass near him with what appeared to be a white mask. Angry and frustrated by the Akatsuki agents unwillingness to simply die, Gaara gathered the sand from the gourd on his back and hurled as many Sand Shuriken as he could.

The Akatsuki agent retreated from the attack, his trendils trying to intercept the attack though at the same time being sheered. Raising his arms, Gaara shifted attention to lifting as many large clumps of sand into the air as he could before raining them down on the man as well. This gave Gaara the time to reach out and summon the remaining sand from his gourd to his hand, shaping it into a trident shaped halberd shot through with the same blue markings of Shakuku. Arm coming back, Gaara hurled it as if he had been using it all his life, the weapon whistling through the air before piercing the mans chest. The impact of the blow actually sent the Akatsuki agent sailing backwards, impacting the rough ground and somersaulting several times before coming to a rest. Not satisfied that he had truly killed the man, Gaara reached out, drawing all the sand back to him while a chunk tore itself from the earth and lifted him into the air.

Gaara watched in a great deal of annoyance as another black mass with a white mask oozed from his chest, before pooling near him. It wasnt even a second later that the Akatsuki agent regained his feet and had formed a seal, unleashing a massive blast of wind at his lofty perch.

Hands crossing, a Suna no Muya formed to protect Gaara from the attack. Concentrating as much chakra as he could to the protective shell, the Jinchūriki wondered at how he could finish this fight. It wasnt that the man was a threat, but that he could apparently take anything Gaara threw at him without batting an eye.

Grimacing he felt he pressure on the Suna no Muya increase before it slacked completely. Sand crumbling, Gaara emerged from the shell and began looking for his missing opponent. Spotting the man, stooped shouldered and breathing heavily, Gaara pushed the chunk of floating sand he was using at the man while willing more sand to rise up and give him a gentle landing.

No sooner had Gaaras feet touched the ground than he caught movement from the left. Spinning defensively, he found the man beginning a technique. Another trident shaped halberd solved that, earning a faint smirk before the figure exploded with a cloud of smoke. Eyes widening, Gaara felt another build up of charka and spun to find the man crouching while a black mass hovered over his shoulders and two masks began to emit fire and wind.

Hand coming up, Gaara poured as much charka he dared into the surrounding sand, forming a rapidly growing figure of the Shukaku. The ultimate shield reached the peak for formation just as the wind and flames joined together for a massive blast of fire.

This wasnt right, Gaara thought darkly while struggling to hold the Shukaku no Tate. This was at least an S-rank ninjutsu he faced and it had been completed in a short period of time without him even suspecting it. Gritting his teeth, the Jinchūriki erected another Shukaku no Tate just as the first shattered into fused chunks.

Struggling to hold this new Shukaku no Tate, Gaara quickly cast around for a solution outside of manifesting the Shukaku. It could win the fight, but it would also exhaust him, which would result in falling unconscious, leaving the demon free reign. Temari would be vulnerable if that happened. However, it seemed that the Shukaku was his only chance at victory, and he prepared to give in when something in the corner of his eye diverted his attention.

Temari had returned and he felt his heart almost leapt into his throat upon seeing her. Then he registered a subdued crackling sound and flash of light. He started to call out, to warn her away, but Temari screamed his name while flinging her body into the path of the attack.

The world went white from the blast, then deaf at the accompanying clap of thunder.

As the world came back from nonexistence, the air crackled with discharged electricity. Smoke rose, filled with the thick scent of burnt ozone and human flesh. A moment of absolute stillness filled the desert, more perfect than ever, as if every particle of sand collectively held its breath.

Sabaku no Gaara collapsed to his hands and knees, fingers gouging the sand, shoulders trembling from silent sobs. Before him laid a twisted and blistered lump of bone and tissue, hardly recognizable as the body that had once housed the most wonderful woman he had known.

"Temari?"

Somewhere deep inside, the last vestiges of his humanity snapped and crumbled...

_...and Gaara ceased to exist._

* * *

Kakuzu was not one to repeat his mistakes, or he wouldn't have lived this long. In an odd way, the debacle of his last fight against a Jinchūriki, the Sanbi Host, had actually given him a great deal of insight into how to handle the Ichibi Host. Kakuzu had learned from that previous fight and addressed the problems he would undoubtedly face this time.

First, with the Sanbi Host he had underestimated his target. This time he would not do so; this Jinchūriki had already killed one Akatsuki agent, without the aid of his bijuu, and was currently fighting a war behind enemy lines. Dangerous, extremely dangerous, so Kakuzu would **not** underestimate this target.

Second, with the Sanbi Host he had rushed to capture and forgotten the terrain. Kakuzu knew this time that he would lose control of the terrain; the Ichibi Host was located in a sea of sand, which was its primary weapon. Kakuzu had thought very carefully about what techniques to use to counter the element.

Third, with the Sanbi Host Kakuzu had known next to nothing about the techniques he would encounter. This time, he had carefully studied the reports from both Zetsu and Orochimaru, ensuring that he knew everything he could. The targets favored techniques and habits had been examined and used to plan the capture accordingly.

Kakuzu, determined to learn completely from his past mistakes, had even formulated a series of contingency plans involving his partner. What he would do if Hidan stayed to fight, what he would not do if Hidan went off on his own in the middle of the fight. With Hidan you never knew really, and the only reason Kakuzu had yet to kill him was because it would be a waste of energy to try when they were both nigh-immortal.

So Kakuzu had planned and when Hidan went off on his private fight against the Jinchūriki's sister, the former Taki ninja didn't bat an eyelash. He already knew the plan to use, and he began putting it into motion. Overwhelming force would not work against this target, so instead the bounty hunter strove to make the Jinchūriki over confident.

He sacrificed two hearts for that end, luring the Jinchūriki deeper and deeper into the trap. Throwing a fight was actually harder than trying to win it, because you couldn't be obvious about your intentions. You had to fight hard enough to make it believable, to make the other person sure of their own defensive and offensive capabilities.

Eventually, after what seemed like an hour, the target used its ultimate defense, confident that it could not be broken. Kakuzu moved to seize the chance that came, though the trident had been a mild surprise, but he had what he wanted. The first Kage Bunshin disappeared in a puff of smoke, then second Kage Bunshin attempting to use the 'Gouton: Tooboe Gouka' that left the real Kakuzu free to land from his jump and unleash a controlled 'Raiton: Gian'.

It would punch through his shield and then his armor, which were formidable defenses. True, both would absorb most of the attack, but enough would get through to render the Jinchūriki a helpless rag doll.

That was when, without warning, the gods abandoned him.

Temari had reappeared and taken the blow meant for the target, and she had no protection. By the time Kakuzu recovered from the instinctive flinch away from the blinding flash, the Jinchūriki was kneeling next to the charred remains of its sister, saying the name in a child-like voice.

_Oh..._

The Jinchūriki stood up slowly, as if his muscles had forgotten how to do so. The Sand exploded outward into a hellish dance, swirling around and around higher to an unheard cadence. The Jinchūriki raised its head, the emotionless mask gone, and in its place was a face twisted into a snarl of rage the defied description.

_Fuck._

Kakuzu struck out with the Fūton: Atsugai, before retreating quickly while turning his body to steel. He had to put some distance between them so he could piece together a new plan. Kakuzu was still confident that he could capture the target. He just needed time to work out the details, and acquire two more hearts, because the situation had changed.

The beast roared.

Okay, make that three hearts.

* * *

**AN: **

So I've updated with a beta'd version, my beta sent the finished chapter an hour or so after I updated. Anyway, I made the nesscary changes and so here's the new version. Also, to make sure we're all on the same page:

Gaara killed the medic, so he won't be coming back. Temari is dead, no if-ands-or-buts.

In Shinobi Wars when I 'kill' a character they stay dead (exception being Hidan). I do not deal in 'drama' death, so keep that in mind and also the fact that any and all characters may die at any given moment as per the dictation of the plot .

Thank you.

**_::Japanese Military Terms::_**

**Ashigaru**: Light feet: infantry.

**Bajo**: A term for cavalry.

**Bunji**: A noble.

**Gennin**: Attendants to samurai, whose responsibilities included horse care, equipment maintenance, and so on.

**Kaburaya**: "Turnip head-bulbous arrow head that produced a distinctive noise in flight.

**Kokujin:** Term used to describe locally powerful samurai families not far removed from the peasantry in terms of priorities and concerns.

**Sashimono:** Small banner affixed to the back of a suit of armor, for battlefield recognition purposes.

**_::Nicknames and Terms::_**

**Kakuzu no Gohatsu:** Kakuzu of the Five Hearts


	22. Chapter 20: The Last of Bravery

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 20:  
-_The Last of Bravery_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

The Kazekage took his seat at the head of the massive circular table, staring at the gathered few in stony silence. Over the last three days there had been a flurry of events the arrival of refugees, samurai returned from battle in a rare retreat, the shortage of food and water. The only thing that had shown promise was the battle plan that General Ikawa had outlined to the Kazekage shortly after his arrival.

The Kazekage had in turn presented it an hour ago to the council, leaving them to discuss the matter. Not that it mattered since he could already guess they would be against the plan. It was the antithesis of all orthodox military doctrine and they would overlook the wisdom and ingeniousness for such pettiness.

Suna ninja owned the desert and the Tsuchi samurai and Iwa ninja were isolated to the pre-established towns, which represented the only sources of abundant water besides the Isen River. The war was centered on geographical dominance, not direct conflict, but knowing the council they would reject this concept.

"So, have you finished your deliberation?"

"Yes, in detail," Jun said with a faint nod.

"The general consensus is that we merely wait this out," Arisu intoned formally. "Suna is impossible to find without the proper guidance. Even if the enemy had the fortune to stumble across the wall, our village was designed for the maximum defense."

"General consensus," the Kazekage said, "will leave our village destroyed. Our defenses would not last against a full force attack from Iwa, and they have ways of attaining our location. Tsuchi and Iwa will not be satisfied until they have all of Kaze no Kuni under their heel, which *includes* Suna."

"That is your opinion, but we believe otherwise," Jun retorted coughing into a rag, glaring at him.

"I see. So the plan is rejected without even attempting a small test, perhaps in an isolated district?" The Kazekage sneered well aware he lacked the power to move on his own. Unlike Konoha, the Kazekage was just the public face of the council; his will was not absolute in military matters.

"What plan? You would have us run and hide, attacking like cowards," Fumio rasped, his gnarled finger tapping the stone table. "We greatly outnumber the Iwa forces, and we *_can_* take them in a direct conflict if it comes to that."

"Actually, Fumio-san, our forces _were_ larger," The Kazekage countered, darkly amused. "Thanks to the initial invasion and the costly attempts at repelling their horde, we are now outnumbered. We are five thousand ninja weaker than before. Iwa has lost roughly two thousand ninja, and what we face is far from their full force."

"The decision has been made," Arisu said curtly. "Our enemies do not desire our village; they merely wanted our land so that they could launch a major assault against Konoha. We are safe."

"When did we cast the official vote?" the Kazekage asked, looking at the three of them before standing. "I am the only one with military experience on this council, so allow me to assure you that Iwa will not leave us be. Give me a month, just one month, to place the plan I presented into practice. If we have made a significant difference in that month then we continue, if not then we assume your decision."

"I will agree with that," Jun said slowly, staring at him with a twisted smirk, "on the condition that when your plan fails, you resign."

The Kazekage glared at the older man, knowing what that would do. Upon his resignation the council could do two things; select a successor for the post or dissolve the position of Kazekage. This council would not hesitate to dissolve the position. Power-hungry fools. No sooner would the title of Kazekage be abolished then they would turn on each other.

But he would have a month. Much could be accomplished in that time. "Agreed."

"Very well," Arisu said with a nod. "All those in favor of the motion?"

Four hands rose, one after the other.

The Kazekage jerked his head in acquiescence, sweeping out of the meeting room. He had thirty days to make a difference large enough that those fools could not argue with the result.

* * *

His heart was pounding, painful and deafening. His breath came in short, sharp bursts, with a whistle sound like a tea kettle. Tripping, the man tumbled down the sand dune, before coming to a rest at the base. Scrambling to his feet, the Chūnin known as Jun'ichi desperately searched the desert, disquieted by the endless sea of sand dotted with mountainous dunes.

He took off once more, trying to put as much distance between him and the monsters.

They had come out of nowhere, right in the middle of a skirmish against a group of Iwa ninja. It was his first battle as a commander and it had been bloody enough to begin with, but when the two monsters hit he had lost it. The first one, with black tentacles, had _ripped_ the still beating heart out of his girlfriend Ume's chest.

Dissatisfied, it had discarded the heart and moved onto two other ninja before it finally found a heart it wanted. The second monster arrived soon after. But whatever quaint notion Jun'ichi had of this second monster being on their side disappeared in the slaughter that followed.

Iwa and Suna ninja alike were subjected to the monsters wraith...

__

...here sand coiled and twisted around a ninja's limbs lifting them into the air before tearing him limb from limb.

Another sliced to death by sand as it coiled around his body and then passed through him like a saw blade.

A kunioichi lifted into the air by bands of sand, her legs forcefully pulled open and a spiraling spear of sand violating her before coming out her mouth in a spray of blood-

Collapsing, Jun'ichi couldn't stop his stomach from betraying him, and the acidic taste reminded him horribly of the terror he had just witnessed.

"Oh kami," he whimpered, hands cradling his forehead, trying to stop his sobs. Those had been his friends and he had stood there frozen, watching as those monsters - shaking his head, struggling weakly to his feet, he started off again.

His body moved on its own, ducking beneath a Suna Shuriken, the kind that he had seen tear through an earth wall without effort. Recovering, he spun before dodging left and right, avoiding the follow up attacks. Skidding to a halt, he located the attacker, a hideous creature with a spiked tail swaying and golden eyes staring mercilessly at him.

Jun'ichi desperately flung a barrage of kunai and shuriken at the monster, each bearing a flash or explosive note. They struck an impenetrable wall of sand before the monster, kicking sand up in a blinding flash, giving Jun'ichi the chance to form a genjutsu while he tried to slip away unnoticed. The monster wasn't fooled and with a sweep of its arm, a wave of sand swept over them both.

Tumbling heel over head, disorientated and struggling to breathe, Jun'ichi cried out. Something cinched around his waist. The beast yanked him out of the ebbing sand wave and slammed his abused body painfully into the ground. The massive arm and paw throbbed with alien power, shot through with blue markings like icy veins. The hand grasping him trembled with excitement, slowly pulling him toward the salivating monster.

He clawed and paddled, trying to find purchase in the loose ground, up until the sand snapped shut around his hand, suddenly as solid and tight as a steel vice. Screaming, he completed his journey in blinding pain, until the monster lifted him high into the air without effort.

"Don'tkillmedon'tkillmedon'tkillmedon'tkillmedon'tkillme-" Jun'ichi begged, even as sand began to creep over the parts of his body not already covered. He trembled and wept as the sand encased him, leaving only his face visible. Not like this, he thought wildly, imagining briefly breaking free and escaping, but it would be his last wild thought.

Then he was nothing more than a smear of tissue and blood, spread across the dunes like a childs finger-painting.

* * *

__

Miyako, Kirin Castle, private Garden of the Kusa Daimyo...

"The Tsuchikage is becoming quite insistent Lord." Jomon said.

"About what exactly?" Hittori asked absently, watching Sazuko and her new maid, the daughter of Kuma no Kuni's former Daimyo, talk in conspiratorial tones just ahead. Hittori wondered what they were planning, probably something amusing if nothing else.

"About our willingness to support their assault on Taki no Kuni and their eventual assault against Hi no Kuni."

"Ah, yes," Hittori said with a heavy sigh, mind coming back to the subject at hand. He had only agreed to the alliance with Tsuchi no Kuni for two reasons, one to avoid an immediate war and two because if Kaze no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni fought, then eventually Hi no Kuni would get involved. His plan to pounce on the weakest was up in flames, thanks to Orochimaru starting his own war against Hi no Kuni. Without Konoha to support Suna, Tsuchi no Kuni had easily dominated the desert country, leaving Hittori to try and pick up the pieces of his failed espionage.

The bigger question was why Orochimaru would start a war against Hi no Kuni. It amounted to suicide in the long run, even with all the fancy new weapons the Oto forces were using. Orochimaru had to possess a secret Kage level alliance, but he wouldn't put money on that. Either way, the problem of Orochimaru should be handled soon, if Akatsuki were as reliable as they had been in the past.

"Hittori-sama, please listen-"

"I know," the Kusa Daimyo interrupted, shaking his head. "I was merely thinking about the countries and their affairs. We cannot risk moving to support Tsuchi, nor can we oppose them. We must remain neutral to this gathering storm for as long as we can, but Tsuchi will not accept such a decision."

"So we are tra-"

"DIE!" A gardener shouted, lunging toward Hittori with a gleaming blade in hand.

Hittori paused, watching the man while Jomon began to draw his sword, when the whole thing came to an odd conclusion. Sazuko grabbed the assassins wrist and elbow, pivoted, dragging the man painfully to the ground. She grasped the dropped kunai, spun it up on her middle finger and with an efficiency belonging only to those with long years of experience, jabbed it into the crook of the assassins neck.

Standing, she turned to him, her face hard and eyes dark, every inch the ANBU with whom he had first fallen in love. "Are you hurt, Hittori-sama?"

"I'm fine," he murmured with a fond smile. "Thanks to you, Sa-chan."

"Who do you think is responsible?" Jomon asked, sheathing his blade, staring at the dead body with poorly concealed distaste.

"Nobody of consequence, I'm sure," Hittori answered, bemused that his brother had the ambition for such a brazen attempt. Maybe ambition was the wrong word to use, Hittori corrected silently, more like desperate. Holding his mother hostage is becoming too much of a liability, so the matter will have to be settled soon. He idly wondered where the man had been hired, but Sazuko would tell him after she finished her task with the body.

"I will have the heads of the guards," Jomon growled, fisting the hilt of his sword with white knuckles.

"Of course. However, perhaps this conversation should be continued somewhere less exposed."

"Yes, my Lord," Jomon agreed, turning as Hittori nodded to Sazuko to begin her autopsy.

Silently, both men walked back to the veranda and the castle proper, Jomon too keyed up for conversation while Hittori debated what exactly he should do about his brother. Noga was not a serious threat yet, considering that he had used the assassin rather than the loyalty seal on a trusted friend of Hittori, but to allow more attempts could prove fatal.

However, to simply kill his brother could jeopardize the loyalty seal program, and Noga had the most experience with it. But others could pick up if he was forced to leave off, perhaps even advance it quicker than Noga could. He would have to deal with his brother later, and it would have to be a permanent solution.

"Inform the Tsuchikage that we can neither support nor oppose any attack, we will remain neutral," Hittori said, addressing the earlier conversation while putting thoughts of his brother aside. "Explain to him that we are still settling matters from our own war. Request, respectfully, that if they do wish for our help, if they would mind holding off on their own assault until such time as we can be of some help to them."

"Yes."

Stepping up onto the veranda he turned back to his general, speaking softly, "I want everyone in this garden executed by tomorrow morning. Then I wish to speak with my brother."

"At once."

* * *

The inn shared a simple design, common to all the buildings, the customary walls that slopped upward and ended with a flat roof. It had been the standard style of the desert dwellers for as long as Kakuzu could remember, though if he remembered right the Kazekage's office was a round dome. The Akatsuki agent shook thoughts of architecture off and instead focused on the matter at hand, namely getting to the room and sleeping.

Normally, he wouldn't stay in an inn. They were a waste of money but hed make an exception this time. He had been on the move for the last 72 hours without sleep and with the minimum amount of food or water; his reaction time was declining rapidly.

He'd actually lasted longer than he expected, but he also knew that he was on borrowed time. He had lost two hearts - water and earth - in the ambush three days ago, then his wind heart that night and 24 hours later his lightning heart. For the last two days he had been struggling to stay one step ahead of the murderous Jinchūriki with only his fire heart, only managing thanks to his century of experience.

"Would you like a meal brought up, or do you require _something_ else?"

The question brought him out of his memories and he turned his attention toward the woman who had opened the door to his room. She had an unassuming attractiveness; dark hair and a round open faced dressed in a decent kimono. There was no doubt she offered a pleasant evening and normally he might take her up on the offer, but not tonight.

"No," he said flatly, before stepping into his room and closing the door with a thump. He hated being rude with her, but her eyes had been the same shade of green as the Jinchūriki and that unsettled him. Taking in the room, he moved to the far-left corner facing both the window and door and propped his back against it as he sat down.

Crossing his arms and tucking chin to chest, he took a breath and let it out. He could finally get some sleep, not only because he had managed to procure a wind and earth based heart, but had lost the Jinchūriki among the Suna and Iwa ninja. Closing his eyes, the Akatsuki agent fell into an uneasy sleep...

_The Suna ninja, Chūnin from her fluid motions, dodged another attack attempting to return fire. Yet what could her ninjutsu do against his tendrils? Her chest made a crunching sound as the black mass plunged through her, ripping the heart free and discovering it to be a wind chakra type. Discarding her body he drew the heart back into his chest, absorbing it._

_Done he turned to the next ninja, but it too was a wind chakra heart. Discarding that heart Kakuzu shifted attention to an Iwa ninja, twisting around a leg and pulling him off balance, dodging a series of enemy attacks. Tendrils twisting together into a drill he plunged it into the man's chest, finally locating an earth chakra heart._

_No sooner had he discarded the body and drew the heart into his chest, than a wordless roar of rage and hate filled the air, and he looked around to find the Suna Jinch_ūriki_ staring at him from a hunched position, gold eyes boring into him and sand creeping over his upper torso-_

Jerking awake, a chill raced up his spine. Kakuzu had encountered worse things, but that image set his nerves on edge.

Looking back on it, he wondered how he made such a stupid tactical decision in the first place. Slowing his breathing, the Akatsuki agent closed his eyes; perhaps he should create a plan for how to finish this. With three of his five hearts back, he still had a chance at capturing the Jinchūriki, though Kakuzu would have to be careful.

Since he was on the border, and knowing the Jinchūriki like he did, he could flee into Kusa no Kuni. That would lure the demon into an area where the terrain was less in its favor. Once there he would have a good chance of finding a lightning or water heart, either of which would greatly increase his offensive capabilities for this fight. Fire and Wind would only do so much against sand. Earth might offer better chances, but still it would be limiting.

The problem was that the Jinchūriki wasn't exactly rational. Kakuzu couldn't predict how the Ichibi Host would act, or react, to anything he did in his effort to capture it. Actually, without his Raiton: Gian, he wasn't entirely sure he _could_ penetrate its defenses let alone capture it.

The sound of his door clicking open caught his attention and he shifted his attention toward it without giving away his state of being awake. No one entered immediately, so the intruder had some intelligence, though how much was debatable considering they were sneaking in on him. The door swung open just enough for the figure to slip into his room without a sound. The floor didn't creak beneath clothed feet as the figure moved forward. The presence paused in front of him, breathing even and assured in the stillness of the room.

In a blinding moment, the attacker threw a kunai as he lunged forward, slamming her into the wall across the room with a merciless grip on a slender neck.

"Ho ho, so you weren't just an inn keeper," Kakuzu said, getting to his feet. "I'm gonna guess, what, Iwa?"

The woman didn't answer, not that he expected her to be able to do so. But the way her eyes had widened told him that he was right an Iwa Kuniochi. Normally, he might find some amusement in breaking her, as captured kunoichi were fun and better than paying, but he didn't have the time. Flexing his hand, Kakuzu crushed her windpipe before releasing her body.

His detached arm returned to its proper location and he swept out of the room, intent on getting out of the village. Iwa ninja were like cockroaches, if you saw one then there were hundreds more you didn't see and Kakuzu already had enough to deal with. He no sooner made it down to the street than he had to activate his 'Doton: Domu' to absorb a rock shaped lance hurtling through the air.

Sliding from the impact he began drawing on the chakra in his wind heart and formed the seals, hitting his attacker with a massive ball of wind from the 'Fūton: Suukou Kazekyuu'. He didn't wait to see the results; instead, he lept to the side of the building before rebounding to reach the opposite roof.

Landing, he took a moment to reorient, wondering why these Iwa ninja were attacking him. His Taki headband had been discarded yesterday, in the hopes of tricking the Jinchūriki into believing him dead - for all the good that had done. He needed to get out of here. He crouched, looking for a safe exit. Then the roof began to tremble and he jumped out of instinct.

A moment later the entire building collapsed, leaving him airborne and four ninja gathered beneath him. These bastards were starting to piss him off. Releasing the fire and wind masks from his shoulders, he fused them together, unleashing the combination of fire and wind known as the 'Gouton: Tooboe Gouka'.

The massive combination of fire and wind engulfed the street, along with the ninja, and quickly grew. Spreading his black tendrils out from his back even further, he created what could pass for wings and used the updraft to glide to another roof. Landing with a slight stumble, he quickly scanned his surroundings before pausing.

Kakuzu had been alive for 91 years. He had experienced a great many things and one of them had been a tsunami. Even after 80 years he could remember the massive size and how much destruction they brought. Now, amazingly, Kakuzu found a tsunami of sand bearing down on him. It would obliterate everything.

Drawing on the wind chakra, he formed a quick hand seal and jumped. At the peak of his jump, he unleashed a 'Fūton: Suukou Kazekyuu' at the roof, using the impact of the ball of wind to push him even higher. The tsunami of sand slammed into the town below, burying the buildings and its inhabitants completely, leaving Kakuzu to start his descent toward a vast valley of featureless sand.

At least descent-at-a-moderate-pace was the plan, before a massive hand of sand lanced with blue veins grabbed him mid-air and slung him to the earth with a violent jerk. Rolling from the impact, the Akatsuki agent used the momentum to regain his feet, spotting the misshapen form of the Jinchūriki charging toward him. Using the wind chakra once more, he formed the tora seal to unleash a 'Futon: Daitoppa, dodging to the side and kicking up sand as he hurriedly started to formulate a plan on how to survive.

The Jinchūriki had other plans. Crouching, it had sunk its transformed hand into the sand to halt its slide, and then once the blast of wind passed, used it to shoot forward and slam him with a hardened sand arm. He flipped sideways for a good 200 yards at nauseating speed. Grimacing, the Akatsuki agent recovered, just barely managing to keep from breaking his neck in the process. He sent a 'Futon: Reppushou' into the ground at his feet, kicking up a screen of sand to obscure the Jinchūrikis vision.

A distorted roar, animalistic, echoed through the air and Kakuzu dodged just as the arm crashed through the sand and plowed through the ground.

This was getting him nowhere. He needed to shift tactics for the moment, possibly pry off that shell the Ichibi Host had adopted. Shifting to the fire heart, he drew on its chakra and unleashed a massive 'Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu'just as the arm swept toward him.

The impact halted the monstrous hand for a moment and Kakuzu followed up with another 'Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu' and another. Reaching into the depths of his memory he left behind a Ka Bunshin, the predecessor to the Kage Bunshin, with a kawirami ensuring a massive blaze engulfed the sand arm and hand. Just a little more, Kakuzu thought, concentrating on controlling the fight.

Just a little more.

Admittedly, all of this fire was doing little to break through the shell, but he had something else in mind. Sand, if heated enough, bonded together and created a kind of crude glass. Chakra imbued or not, ultimately the Jinchūriki was using sand and that was a vulnerability that Kakuzu was going to exploit to its fullest.

Skidding to a halt, the Akatsuki agent threw a punch at the approaching hand, forcing his forearm to separate. Kakuzu's hand hit the outstretched hand, eliciting a faint cracking, followed by the black tendrils exploding out to burrow into the now fractured hand and arm. It took little effort to travel the entire length of the arm and then jerk outward, sending chunks of arm flipping through the air.

The Jinchūriki reacted violently, catching Kakuzu by surprise with a blow from a newly formed tail of sand. Flipping from the blow, the Akatsuki agent hit the ground and rolled before skidding to a stop in a cloud of sand. His body began to reject a heart. Grimacing, he relaxed the black threads on his back, allowing a black mass to surface and collapse uselessly to the side.

Thankfully it was just the fire heart, but that did not sit well with him. Pushing his way up, he frowned while searching out his target, only to find the Jinchūriki encasing itself in even more sand. The tail curved up from behind it, while a pair of massive blue veined sand arms crept down, leaving only the legs untouched.

Kakuzu regained his feet just as the monster sank both massive hands into the ground and hurled itself forward, a living projectile of death. If this lasted much longer, this thing would kill him by transforming completely. Loosening the black threads on his left shoulder he allowed the earth heart to extract itself, taking on the shape of a massive snake, which lashed out to coil around the air borne Jinchūriki dragging it to the ground.

That done, Kakuzu unleashed the only remaining heart he had. Using the Eagle mask, he unleashed a Fūton: Atsugai. For a moment, it seemed as if the air had been sucked out of the area, but then it crashed down on the Jinchūriki, kicking up an immense cloud of sand that expanded rapidly outward. Covering his eyes, Kakuzu braved the windstorm and when it passed slowly turned his attention toward the large crater before him.

Creeping toward the edge, he found the Ichibi Host in a black puddle and the sand all but shattered. Moving before the Jinchūriki had a chance to recover; Kakuzu leaped down into the crater and fished out the Ma Tobatsu O-fuda that the Leader had given each of them. Applying the object to the Jinchūriki he was treated to the experience of a piercing scream and the body arching to almost a breaking point before collapsing back to the ground.

What remained of the sand crumbled away and Kakuzu breathed easier, sitting down heavily. He wouldnt necessarily consider this a fair trade. He had lost his earth-based heart after all, but at least he had captured his Jinchūriki. It would take him a bit before he managed to trek his way to the nearest Akatsuki base, plus he would have to restock his hearts. Looking at the now unconscious and battered Jinchūriki, he glowered, resentfully flicking a handful of sand at his blood-drained face.

"Fuckin' brat."

* * *

AN:

Normally I only have one non-Naruto focused chapter, but I felt this needed to be added. So here you go, next non-Naruto focused chapter will be at the end of Volume 3.

__

::Note::

Fun fact: An O-fuda is kind of talisman found in Buddhism and Shinto, typically for good luck or such. Anyway, details below on the special slip of paper used by Kakuzu at the end.

Name: Ma Tobatsu O-fuda [Demon Subjugation Charm]

Rank: -

Range: Close (0m ~ 5m)

Type: Supplementary

The Ma Tobatsu O-fuda is a special talisman created by Pain and given to each member of Akatsuki. Its purpose is to seal the bijuu within the Jinchūriki, suppressing or subjugating it so that can pose no risk.


	23. Chapter 21: Bad Things

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Volume 3: Escalation and Retaliation  
Chapter 21:  
_-Bad Things-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

Otogakure no Seto was a dank, dark place; with twisting tunnels, dead ends, booby-trapped passages and even some that looped around continuously. Most brilliant of course was the fact that all the turns were made to the right; ensuring that an invader would have to use his left hand for battle. Orochimaru had designed this, his decades old private domain turned only recently hidden village, as his ultimate refuge.

Within this subterranean world, Orochimaru was master and as such he knew every nook and cranny. Here he was secure beyond words and even Sasuke had been unable to chanllange that fact. So he felt understandably uneasy when he discovered a section of his Oto that should not have been. Old though he was, the Sannin knew beyond a doubt that he was not going senile. So then, where did this section come from and why did he feel as if a pair of familiar eyes were watching him.

Upon further reflection, the genius decided that it was merely an elaborate Genjutsu designed to make a familiar pathway seem different. A tiny frown creased his pale face, he did not have time for such games, he had preformed his end of the bargain with the stupid Ta no Kuni Daimyo. In exchange for funds and control over the failing Ta no Kuni hidden village, Orochimaru had made his ninja a force to fear.

He had provided a few select weapons to strengthen the man's over all military; though he had no doubt that the Hi no Kuni forces would soon be using them as well. All in the hopes of buying just a little bit more time for his true goals to reach full fruition. Orochimaru sought immortality, sought to master all the jutsu in the world and...to understand.

That was Orochimaru's biggest goal, to understand it all, everything. The Sharingan had been almost the perfect tool, but it was lost now, not that he was unduly surprised. He had met several Sharingan users in his lifetime, killed dozens, but the latest had proven more ominous than he cared to contemplate.

As if Itachi were not enough, Sasuke too had proven just as resistant. Sasuke of course had been smart, smarter than the other had been by far, because he kept one thing that the other had destroyed. That girl Sakura, Benihime of Konoha, she was a treasure that could rival Kabuto now and maybe even his old teammate Tsunade.

Still, Orochimaru had more chances at achieving his goals and one was the chance at an alliance the captured Hyūga presented. Kabuto was handling the finer details even now, but Orochimaru had to see to his experiments on a new version of his select bodyguards. Therefore, he had no time for Genjutsu that he obviously couldn't break nor on people that would prefer to watch him and wait.

"Come out," Orochimaru said after another long moment, then at the lack of response closed his eyes "Do you really expect a snake to be taken unaware within his own domain?"

In response there was a nearly silent noise, he couldn't quite place it, but he knew to dodge anyway. His body moved as if there were no joints, avoiding the paper kunai. Recovering he ducked low amid chips of stone, then shifted back to the left racing toward the now visible Konan, the only person he knew able to use paper as a weapon.

To his surprise the blue-haired 'angel' didn't move, but this too, he knew to be a trick because the instant he moved to attack her body, it disassembled into paper butterflies and reformed behind him. Coming to a stop, he stood perfectly still aware that if Konan were there then Pain would not be far behind. Orochimaru was not anxious to face the Rinnegan, those legendary eyes that he and Jiriaya had both secretly believed to have a source within the Ancestors.

The man who held those eyes, Pain, had never lost a fight.

"Kuku, I'm surprised it took you this long," Orochimaru said covering his unease, wondering where the man would attack from. "Though I thought Sasori would be the one sent."

To his surprise, the Genjutsu surrounding the area dissolved, revealing that they were in the caged area where he kept his potential bodies. Apparently, they had him trapped in that Genjutsu since he left his private office. Not Pain then, the man though powerful, had no use for Genjutsu, but then who? Itachi would be the obvious choice, but Konan was here and she never travelled without Pain.

"Ahaha, funny story," an utterly unfamiliar voice said seeming to appear from the shadows. He was dressed in the Akatsuki cloak; face covered with an orange swirl mask and a single eyehole "Sasori-san got killed."

Orochimaru kept from showing the surprise he felt, Sasori was no pushover; it had been extremely difficult to arrange things behind the man's back after all. Sometimes Orochimaru doubted he had been entirely successful, but it was a moot point as the result was he got what he wanted anyway. Careful to keep track of the woman behind him, the Sannin let his body relax in preparation for the upcoming fight.

"Apparently he stepped between Itachi-san and the Konoha Jinchūriki during their fight," the mask wearing figure said pleasantly "according to Zetsu-san there was nothing left of the man."

"Kukukukuku, I knew that boy would be interesting," Orochimaru admitted, both amused and slightly proud -he was in a way Naruto's 'grandfather' thanks to Anko- but mostly he felt annoyed at such a development. Not that he was too upset over the death of Sasori, but this confirmed Kabuto's theory on why Sasuke had made his escape so early and it also made things just that much more difficult for the Snake Sannin.

"Tobi, we are not here to talk," Konan intoned somberly from behind, but she made no move to attack.

"Ah, right, right Konan, sorry!" Tobi said, sounding truly apologetic before addressing Orochimaru "Excuse me, I'm still a bit new at all this. I only tagged along with Zetsu before and this is my first real assignment."

Orochimaru would have said something, but Konan chose that moment to attack. Sensing the attack Orochimaru dodged to the right, avoiding the mass of bird-shaped paper shuriken while half turning so that he could face both. He had maybe a moment to register their positions before the Kami Shuriken, Konan's signature move, changed direction and homed in on him.

A new trick, one that proved harder to rid himself off than expected and growing irritated he formed the needed hand seal and unleashed a miniature Goukakyuu no Jutsu. The paper turned to ash, but he quickly realized how much of a distraction they had been since Konan had created large wings of numerous feather-shaped origami.

Just as he realized the danger, they began falling, several leaving deep cuts along his arms and one down his back.

They came rapidly, forcing the Sannin on the defensive utterly. He had nothing that he could immediately think off to counter the attack, he didn't have too much time however since those feathers were getting more accurate by the minute. Well, fire had worked nicely for a small group so wind would be best here and Orochimaru rapidly formed the seals before unleashing the Reppushou, turning several feathers away.

Konan seemed unperturbed, directing a larger mass to attack him, which Orochimaru countered by creating a series of Doryuu Heki's. The skirmish seemed to last for a long time, giving Orochimaru more than enough time to wonder about why the woman was not putting as much effort as she should have been into this. Catching a glimpse of Tobi, Orochimaru felt a growing wonder at why the man merely stood there watching instead of trying to get into the fight and help his partner.

Ducking and weaving as only he could Orochimaru manifested several snakes from his arm, hurling them at a startled Tobi. The masked man screamed like a girl and fell to the floor allowing the snakes to crash into the stone pillar behind him. Irritated, Orochimaru yanked, the snakes yanking the stone column apart, coming close to squishing the cowardly Akatsuki agent.

Konan was on him in the seconds it took for that act, but Orochimaru already had another idea. Allowing the woman to drive him back, until his back grazed a wall near a flickering torch; he grasped the source of heat and hurled it at the woman. Konan's body dissolved of course, rapidly changing locations, but Orochimaru had thought ahead and as the woman finished reforming, he had several snakes embracing her tightly, their fangs sinking deeply into her flesh to keep her from dissolving once more.

Tobi seemed to decide this would be a good time to get in on the act and using an odd pairing of fuuma shuriken severed the snakes binding the woman to Orochimaru. The damage however, had been done and Konan dropped like a stone, gasping as she tried to fight off the venom. Orochimaru discarded the dead snake bodies still attached to his arm and grinned darkly at the impotent glare the women sent him.

"Kukuku, don't you know that snakes are poisonous?" Orochimaru mocked, pleased at the beads of sweat already forming on her face "Those were among my favorites, the Tiger snake. They possess an extremely potent neurotoxin, coagulants, haemolysins and myotoxins...you should feel utter paralysis in a few minutes. You won't be doing much of anything."

"Ah, not to be a bother Orochimaru-san, but do you think we could have the anti-venom?" Tobi interjected, sounding as if he was that naive. Seeing Orochimaru's disbelief however, the man's tone of voice changed sharply, "That was not a request."

"Kukuku, you think I'm going to worry about a boy that's in over his hea-" Orochimaru paused halfway through his sentence as the world around him turned pitch black. Not as if the lights had been put out, but as if Orochimaru had been thrust into total nothingness, which was more than a little disconcerting to be honest. A Genjutsu obviously, Kokuangyou no Jutsu a favorite of the Shodai.

Orochimaru frowned, feeling but unable to see his stalker, but he knew that only two living people knew this Genjutsu. Himself and Haruno Sakura, who had learned it from an Edo Tenshi Shodai. So how did this man know how to use it and why the sudden personality shift from goofy sidekick to something else? Not just because of Konan surely.

"I let you have your fun," Tobi's voice said from somewhere in the darkness "but this is too far. I want the anti-venom, you _will_ give it to me, or very bad things are about to happen."

"Why do you want it so badly?" Orochimaru asked, stalling, mind working rapidly through the mystery of this Tobi.

"None of your business snake," Tobi shot back, followed by several steel wires suddenly wrapping around Orochimaru's body, restricting his movements. As if this was not bad enough, there were black flames racing along the wires toward him, the same type as Itachi's infamous Amaterasu. This whole thing now screamed of a major secret that he could have never guessed.

Still, Orochimaru was a Sannin for a reason and it was a simple matter to reach out with his chakra and merge with the floor to avoid the black flames...only it didn't happen. He tried, he did everything right, but he couldn't activate the Hiru Bansho: Boka no Jutsu. Frantic, the heat from the flames now hotter than anything he had ever experienced, he tried a series of Ninjutsu in rapid succession.

_Nan Kaizou, Chakra Kaigara, Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Kuu no Tachi, Yamata no Jutsu, Kawarimi no Jutsu and Kai. _

None of them worked, the heat had grown so much that his skin bubbled and a red mist escaped him. Somewhere in his panic, disbelief and horror, he started screaming. He wasn't aware of when it happened all he knew was that his body was in the process of melting, that the black flames licking at him were hotter than he could have ever imagined and he just wanted it to be over.

For the love of kami, let me die.

Let me die.

Let me die.

**_Let me die..._**

Then abruptly the heat left, the pain that had consumed him faded, leaving Orochimaru curled into a ball shrieking for no reason. Abruptly he stopped, realizing the foul trick that he had just suffered. Genjutsu, it had been Genjutsu, but for how long? How could someone produce such a powerful one that was not Uchiha?

How could they mimic the heat of Amaterasu so perfectly?

Opening his golden eyes, he found the silent figure of Tobi, standing beside an unmarked Konan. Then from the moment Tobi had emerged, the Genjutsu had been in play. The Sannin made no immediate move, just stared at the two in consideration, he could attack of course but this Tobi did not sit well with him.

"That was a rather powerful Genjutsu," Orochimaru admitted, regaining his feet slowly, his nerves raw from the imaginary assault "You must be quite talented and familiar with Amaterasu."

"Thanks!" Tobi said happily, his tone childlike but Orochimaru was not fooled. This Tobi was anything but a child, to produce such a powerful Genjutsu revealed that much.

"Kukuku, so now what?" The snake Sannin asked, even as he subtly pushed his chakra down into the ground arranging his Doton: Gyorai Shin for launch. When Tobi seemed ready to answer Orochimaru struck, shooting the earth made nails up from the ground. Both Akatsuki agents managed to dodge, but Orochimaru had already launched his second attack and hurled the Kanashibari no Jutsu to neutralize Tobi while he moved to attack Konan.

The blue haired woman flipped from her leap, floated for a moment then hurled toward him, creating a katana from her paper. Orochimaru not to be out done threw a shuriken, which he quickly made into several with 'Shuriken Kage Bunshin'. Konan's blade flashed quickly, deflecting the attack and then it dissolved back into paper.

Orochimaru grinning formed the hand seals and unleashed Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu at the woman. Surprisingly the woman countered by disassembling into several butterflies, avoiding the attack. Extending and elongating his arm, Orochimaru cut his jutsu off while grasping a stone pillar and spinning around to seek the woman out.

He found her on the floor, calmly looking up at him before she hurled a charkam of paper at him. Melting into the pillar, he allowed it to absorb the blow and then reappeared at the ground level, shooting forward with all the speed of a viper. Konan reacted by merely jumping, hovering as he passed beneath her.

Turning as if his body had no joints, Orochimaru shot a hand forward, dozens of snakes hurling toward the woman. They in turned were countered by several paper sunflowers that now floated around the hovering woman. Orochimaru would not be outdone and discarding the Seneitajashu created the seals spitting the Katon: Housenka no Jutsu at her.

The series of small fireballs were countered by the paper flowers, which promptly ignited on contact and turned to ash.

A beat passed, as so often happened in fights, then both were moving again. Orochimaru tried his luck with a Kaze no Yaiba, but merely succeeded in destroying a section of his prison as Konan managed to dissemble and reassemble elsewhere. She tried a horde of paper dragons, several of which tore into the Sannin before he finally destroyed them with a Fūton: Daitoppa.

The fight was brought to an abrupt halt as black flames ignited between them and quickly encircled Orochimaru.

"So you_ can_ do Amaterasu," Orochimaru murmured, eyeing the flames warily, the heat recreating the panic he had felt during the Genjutsu.

"As I said earlier," Tobi's surprisingly serious voice said from beyond the circle of black flames, even as they lowered to a level where they could see each other "I let you have your fun."

"Kukuku, an Uchiha other than Itachi that can use Amaterasu, I know who you are." Orochimaru gloated darkly, knowing now that his only chance of continued survival was surrendering more information.

"Oh?"

"Uchiha Madara," Orochimaru said very softly, golden eyes narrowing "the man who supposedly had the ability that I based my Fushi Tensei on."

"You are full of information aren't you," Madara said, his tone less than impressed "tell me then snake, what do you know that will help you now?"

"That you are here for more than assassination," Orochimaru responded, eying the annoyed Konan "otherwise you would have let Konan-chan and I continue fighting."

"Watch your words," Konan said softly. "My lord god has given me permission to kill you at anytime."

"So what is it Madara?" Orochimaru said, taunting while ignoring the woman "What is it that **I** know, that _you_ the most famous Uchiha ever, don't?"

"You're the genius of the Sannin," Madara said, pronouncing the word 'Sannin' as if it were the most foul of words "what do you think it is?"

"The mask, it only reveals one eye which means the other has been damaged or weakened so you're looking for more Sharingan." Orochimaru said, pleased to find the black flames fizzling out. "This means you're here because you think I might know something useful."

"Do you?"

"Oh I know several things," Orochimaru countered, thankful that he did indeed know the information the man needed "If you agree to have your lackeys leave me alone, and you help me achieve a certain goal, I'll tell you what you wish to know."

"Akatsuki will leave you alone after this." Madara said ignoring the way Konan bristled at such a promise.

"Kukuku, then listen carefully..." Orochimaru said and then told him everything that needed to be said.

Snakes are very cunning after all.

* * *

_Konoha..._

Inuzuka Kiba was not a patient person, except when it came to scoring with the ladies; he could be extremely patient then. However, standing on top of the Hokage Mountain, at night, did not count. A note from Naruto had said to be up there if he wanted to do something about Unity, Kiba of course had wanted to and it wasn't like he had a mission.

Akamaru would take another week or so before he could even start training, which meant they had no chance of performing a mission anytime soon. Not that his mom, sister or Clan understood his reluctance to partner with the other dogs, Kiba had tried to explain it, but failed. Still they weren't going to force the issue and he felt grateful.

It was just, through out everything; the only people to help him get to this point were Kurenai and Akamaru. While Kurenai had turned inward, they rarely saw each other except for the occasional lunch; Akamaru had been his constant companion. To turn away from his friend now, well for some reason it felt as if he'd be doing the same thing that Sasuke and Sakura had done.

Huffing he crossed his arm, grumbling darkly about nothing, after all there was a lot of things to grumble about. Konoha at war, Unity, those two traitors...

"Inuzuka Kiba." an unknown voice said, startling him and he whirled but found nothing. That, of course, should have been an impossibility considering the wide-open nature of his location. "I am here on behalf of Uzumaki Naruto."

"Ahuh, and you're who exactly?" Kiba asked, shifting chakra to his nose. He could pick up a faint scent, it seemed slightly familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

"That is not important right now," the voice said, apparently coming from everywhere at once. "Uzumaki-san has suggested we bring you in and after careful thought, we agreed-"

"'We'?" Kiba asked, startled, the scent now stronger than ever as he focused more chakra to his nose. "Look, I'm not sure I need to be joining some faceless group."

"We agreed to offer you the chance to join." the voice finished, sounding irritated "On behalf of the Godaime Hokage, we would like you to join us and help to counter the group known as Unity."

"...and if I say no?" Kiba asked, almost certain that he knew the speaker as well as where they were hiding. Her perfume had always been distinctive to him ever since he'd been a Genin and he'd always liked the scent: A mixture of Waterlilly, peach, orange and amber...it was her perfume, 'Black Pearl', the voice belonged to Kurenai no doubt.

"Then I go away, we disappear."

"Does this group at least have a name?" Kiba asked, now trying to locate the direction her perfume was coming from.

"Do you honestly expect me to tell you?"

"Not really," Kiba admitted, deciding since he couldn't pin-point the location, that he should lay a few of his cards on the table. "But even if you don't, I know more than you'd be comfortable with."

"Such as?"

"I'm in a genjutsu obviously; you've probably got more than one up to keep us both out of sight. You're wearing a very distinctive perfume which means either you feel comfortable enough around me to let it slip through unintentionally or that you're a complete idiot of a Genin."

"Just because you notice a perfume and I slipped up a little doesn't mean much." The voice returned.

"It does with an Inuzuka, because even if I can't tell where you are, I can tell _who_ you are." Kiba said before sighing "I know that scent, as well as I know my mom's."

"Not bad," the voice offered dryly "but did you ever consider that the perfume was simply part of the genjutsu to make you believe I was someone you knew?"

"Ah, no," Kiba admitted, deflating. He should have considered that, but he had been so confident it hadn't even crossed his mind. Then again secret groups would not be made up of second-raters, Naruto might be a moron but he definitely led the pack in combat. "Crap, ok, so the offer still good?"

"You agree to help us?"

"Well yeah, anybody with such great taste in books has to be worth helping." Kiba said, meaning it. "Icha Icha had to be the greatest series ever in the history of ninjadom."

"Inuzuka Kiba!" the voice snapped, in an oddly familiar way, making him cringe. The genjutsu dissolved a moment later and there stood his former sensei, arms crossed and shooting him a glare that made him feel like a Genin all over again.

"Ah, sensei, I'm sorry." Kiba offered gulping as her lips compressed into an even thinner line.

"Kiba," she said, those gorgeous red eyes narrowing "you don't have to apologize. You're an adult and its natural to be interested...in _those_ books."

"I, uh, don't read that often...really." Kiba explained, trying to make her believe that he wasn't a pervert like he feared.

"Yes, I am aware of that." Kurenai quipped, almost teasing, before returning to the topic "welcome to the Kage Seiei. We'll be in touch."

"Wait," Kiba started, but realized he now stood alone on top of the Hokage Mountain. The way she had disappeared, it could have been a genjutsu, but her mannerisms had been too accurate. At least as far as he knew, there wasn't a genjutsu that could mimic that, but he was far from a genjutsu expert. Well at least now he had something a bit more interesting to keep his mind occupied.

* * *

_Hi no Kuni, Somewhere in Region 2..._

Ashige had the sort of personality that most young male ANBU had, cocky. Perfectly normal for young men in his position, after all he had earned his status as an elite ninja and cultivated the all important viciousness ANBU needed. Strong and powerful, he would not be a young man to trifle with; he'd been ANBU for nearly his entire career as a ninja.

Anko wanted nothing more than to eradicate him from the face of the earth. Eighteen years old, had worked with her a few times, and he still didn't have the common sense to keep his cocky attitude in check. Anko though, restrained her urges as best she could, because Ashige's real name happened to be Morino Idate.

Not that Ibiki would admit his relation or care what she did to him, but still, she counted Ibiki as a 'friend' and so she made sure to keep her urge to beat the young man to death in check. To Idate's credit though, he seemed better behaved than he had in the past, which didn't seem too strange considering he had been through many life or death missions over the years.

Those tended to change you after all, for better or worse.

"Mamushi-sama," Idate said softly, voice muffled slightly by the ANBU mask he wore "I've been thinking about these Shinin."

Anko made an indistinct noise, thinking darkly about hearing her old code name from her ANBU days. It was one thing to dust off the old gear and wear it; after all they were well-behind enemy lines after mysterious creatures. That warranted extra protection, she planned on living for several long years after all, but to hear that name darkened her thoughts.

"If they are as dangerous as we've gathered," Idate continued "why haven't we seen them? We've tracked their trail of origin all the way to a tiny isolated village, in the middle of nowhere, but have yet to see one."

"No telling," Anko answered, pressing her lips into a thin line. She had been mulling the same thing since the start of the mission but mostly she left it for later. "With _sensei_, you can never tell. His logic isn't something normal people can even grasp."

"I'd still like to know more."

"Hey, then why don't you request a reconnaissance mission?" Anko muttered, earning a snort of amusement, but both let the matter drop. Instead she mentally reviewed the information they'd gathered, sightings had been sporadic at best, usually attributed to 'Jikininki' from villagers. Still, tracking the sightings back, they found they centered on a village called Ashikaga, and by all accounts it amounted to nothing important.

Population, at last count before the war, seemed to hover just at fifty, with four streets meeting within the heart of town. In the weeks prior to the war Ashikaga had fallen out of communication with local villages, then the brief Jikininki sightings that had stopped about three weeks ago. It would not be her first choice for places to locate something like the Shinin; they should be kept in a very secure location.

Then again if she looked at it from the right angle the argument could be made that the village would be ideal. Isolated, small, nobody would bother wondering about why it lost contact. Easily secured and monitored, somewhat centralized in the region, the Shinin could be deployed from and housed there efficiently enough, provided the numbers were kept to a maximum of fifty.

In an hour they'd know for sure, hopefully nothing _to_ horrible would happen to them.

* * *

_Konoha..._

Hanabi watched the ripples on the water's surface, tried to predict when the next fish would jump or leaf would touch down. For the young girl, it was not unusual since she had spent much of her young life watching and trying to predict patterns. It was only natural, a sort of hobby, and one that she had never found a reason to stop after becoming the student of Uzumaki Naruto.

There, a red fish jumped creating more ripples that widened outward before canceling the previous ones. A soft sigh, Hanabi glanced over at her sensei, studying his face now well aware of when he was busy thinking about something. He had been like that for an hour, ever since he had made her hold a piece of paper and mold her chakra, then pronounced her element as water.

He shifted his weight, a sign of something he found interesting. He crossed his arms, a sign of annoyance before he finally grinned, shoulders relaxing. He had figured something out, what that was Hanabi didn't know but she realized she would soon enough.

"Sensei?" Hanabi asked carefully, aware that he could snap and launch into another two-hour long sparring match.

"Mhm?" The blond said, not glancing at her nor making a move to attack her. Not that she relaxed her guard; Naruto could attack without warning.

"What did you mean by 'Water element'?"

"Oh," Naruto said, turning to look down at her "every ninja has a certain element that works better for them. I'm wind, so in my hands any wind jutsu is twenty or a hundred times stronger than normal. So your element is water, which means a water jutsu works better for you than it would for me."

"Ah," Hanabi said, eyes widening slightly. Not so much from the information but the sheer normalcy of the explanation, he only talked that way on the rare occasion when he was in serious teaching mode. Seeing his attention waver she decided to press on before she lost his interest "So why aren't you teaching me water jutsu?"

"Cause I only knew two," the blond said with a grin "neither of which I think you'd find all that helpful. So I had to wait for my Kage Bunshin to read a few jutsu scrolls from the library and then figure out how to perform the jutsu they selected."

"...How does your Kage Bunshin doing that help you learn anything?"

"Kage Bunshin pass along information when they disperse. The method I used is unique to me, but I create a few thousand, have them read the theory and practice a move, then when they got it disperse." Naruto explained with a cocky grin, waiting for her to finish the explanation.

"This means you get a new jutsu and information without having to waste time." Hanabi summarized scowling, remembering how she had known things without thinking after using her own Kage Bunshin.

"Exactly," Naruto said with a nod before stretching "Now the three you get to learn are: Mizu Bunshin, Mizurappa, and Mizu no Muchi. I'll explain each one in more detail as we go, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that without a nearby source of pre-existing water you'll have to expend a lot of chakra to use any of them."

"Of course, much like how if you are low on chakra you have to expend more stamina to complete the Kage Bunshin?" Hanabi asked, then at his nod thought for a moment before climbing to her feet. "Then shall we begin?"

"Okay!" Naruto chirped happily, walking to the stream before turning to face her "We'll start with the Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu. Its C-rank, it should be easy enough since you can do Kage Bunshin. Anyway, this one is made out of water so it's a bit like Kage Bunshin, though the range is much more limited."

"I assume that when damaged the Mizu Bunshin reverts back to its natural water state?" Hanabi asked, already rolling ways of performing the jutsu around in her head.

"Right in one," Naruto said with a grin, leaping into the air with a twisting back flip before landing in a graceful crouch before forming the Hitsuji hand seal causing a large bubble of water to rise before taking on his appearance. "So, now let see if you can get it."

"Pfft, this shall be child's play sensei," Hanabi gloated walking out onto the water, making the same hand seal and concentrating her chakra. A large bubble rose of course, then halfway up; it exploded causing her to flinch from the cold splash.

"Hahahaha, I thought it was going to be child's play?" Naruto taunted, his Mizu Bunshin laughing.

Grumbling, Hanabi shot him a dark glare then began again. It took her five tries before finally getting it right and Hanabi shot him a smug grin. This promptly disappeared as he formed three rapid hand seals and reached over, touching his Mizu Bunshin and converting it into a trail of water.

"Mizu no Muchi," Naruto explained, before snapping the whip of water forward, hitting her Mizu Bunshin in the forehead and shattering it.

"Sensei!" Hanabi protested, glaring at the grinning boy who let his water whip dissolve.

"The hand seals are Ushi-Tora-Tatsu, it functions like a normal whip. You can also send an electric current through it, but mostly it's just a normal whip."

Knowing better than to launch into an argument since she had yet to win one, Hanabi instead formed the needed hand seals and kneeling touched the surface of the water. Scowling she began leaking her chakra out of her hand and the chakra bonded the water into a cohesive unit and Hanabi stood trailing water behind her hand. She stared at the water as it encased her hand, before scowling as it lost cohesion and fell with a splash back into the river.

Grumbling she formed the seals once more and tried again, only to have it once more fail in a similar fashion. Eying the water darkly, she attempted the move again three times, then paused glaring at her amused sensei. It never failed; he would explain the basics and then leave her to figure the method of actually doing it on her own.

Crossing her arms, Hanabi considered the move. It seemed simple enough, her chakra would act as a bond to hold the water into a shape, too much chakra would turn it rigid, to little would make it dissolve. However, the trick was also in the control, it didn't matter about the chakra, if she couldn't manipulate and control her chakra as she moved it.

"Sensei," Hanabi said slowly, glancing at him "Mizu no Muchi, what rank jutsu is it?"

"Hmm?" Naruto said, scratching his chin thoughtfully "the scroll said C-rank, but I know in Kiri someone mentioned it being A-rank."

"..." Hanabi could only stare at him, then her eyebrows drew together in deep thought "then what rank do _you_ think it is?"

"Iunno, I guess A. I mean Kiri ninja would know better what the rank would be wouldn't they?"

"...right." Hanabi said turning back to her water jutsu. Of all the things to try and teach her, an A-rank jutsu like this would be beyond her right now. Her control and chakra were not up to this level of manipulation just yet, though there was something she could try based off of the knowledge she had of the jutsu.

Forming the seals again, she touched the water's surface, slowly drawing up a large band of water. Standing she increased the amount of her chakra, holding it together rigidly, then smirking looked at her sensei who seemed impressed. A simple twirl of the newly created water blade confirmed her thoughts and she pointed it at her sensei.

"Mizu no Yaiba," Hanabi said, pleased with her inventiveness "much easier than the Mizu no Muchi. I would say this would be C-rank."

"Not bad," Naruto said thoughtful before he flashed through a series of hand seals, placed fingers to the side of his mouth, and expelled a strong jet of water. Hanabi had a moment to register the attack before it hit her chest and sent her butt first into the stream. Sputtering and splashing she resurfaced, hair obscuring her vision as her sensei stood over her with his arms crossed.

"Suiton: Mizurappa, B-rank, hand seals are Hitsuji-Saru-Tora." Naruto said conversationally before grinning, "by the way Tsuru-chan, you look like a drowned rat."

"...Screw you Aniki!" Hanabi snapped, struggling back to shore, the air echoing with Naruto's laughter. Reaching land, Hanabi rubbed at her temples then turning glared at her sensei who found delight in her misery. It was going to be a long day, there was no doubt about that.

Sighing Hanabi squared her shoulders before tossing her top and sandals aside, leaving her in the long-sleeved undershirt and pants. Then resolutely she marched back out to continue training, after all she had a feeling she'd end up being dunked in the stream several more times before they finished for the day.

* * *

The sound of metal clashing filled the air, followed shortly by a purple blur descending with a flip as Ino came out on the short end of the exchange. She landed adroitly on a tree branch that bent under her weight, but Ino pushed off at an angle while using its upward momentum to flip as she sailed up and away from her attacker.

Besshu Nisei, her sparring partner, landed heavily then launched toward her location. Ino grinned, then flipping backward plummeted straight to the ground leaving Nisei to grasp the branch she had just departed and flip around before giving chase. Landing smoothly, Ino sprang backward flashing through a three one handed seal, spouting a Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu as she landed.

Cutting it short, she didn't want to roast the boy after all, she found him looking worse for wear but unharmed for the most part. Nisei of course charged at her and Ino countered with a slash at his throat, which brought the young man up short to avoid it. He countered with a kunai of his own, which sailed toward Ino who managed to duck out of the way and aimed an upward angled cut at his left side.

Nisei countered by quickly retreating, kunai remaining in his wake. Ino flipped her sword with a quick flick of her wrist and deflected them before twirling her blade up and behind her arm while forming more single hand seals. This time it was the Shuurai no Jutsu, which forced Nisei to dance his way quickly in reverse to avoid the bolts of unexpected lightning.

Reaching the end of the attack, he threw a punch, hurling several glowing 'dots' at her. Ino felt a jolt of shock that was a serious move; those things would rip through her body like tissue paper. She had seen it happen to all sorts of enemies. In counter to this she formed a one-handed tora seal and with a deep breath exhaled her chakra laced air, hitting them with a full-powered 'Fūton: Daitoppa' dispersing them.

It had been a trick of course, as suddenly she felt several of Nisei's Bunshin closing in on her from her blind spots. Right, left, back flip, Kawarimi with a log, and a few Senkouken saw her clear the group of disposable Nisei. Coming to a skidding stop, Ino flashed through another series of one-handed seals and dropping to a knee touched the ground turning it to mud.

Nisei sank for a moment before correcting himself, but it was all Ino needed to dart forward in a dash, sword coming up in preparation for the ultimate thrust attack. Ino came to a skidding halt, mud scattering, and her blade inches from the left lens of his sunglasses. Breathing heavy, she held the position, aware that she had a Nisei Bunshin immediately behind her, a kunai inches from her kidneys.

"Tie," Ino said then at his nod, twirled her sword with a flourish and sheathed it.

"You've gotten much better at those seals." Nisei said his clone dissolving into 'dots of chakra' that swirled and then returned to him "have you thought of learning more attacks?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure who to ask." Ino admitted, frowning slightly as she replayed the fight in her mind finding the points where she knew there could be improvements. "I got Anko to teach me the basic ones, and Ebisu helped me with the single-hand seals, but with everything that's going on not sure who or when I could find the time."

"There is always Naruto," Nisei suggested innocently, before his tone turned teasing "unless you don't think you'd be able to concentrate in that situation."

"Har har," Ino drawled, scowling at him "I think I liked it better when you were a brick wall."

"Ah, well you can blame my girlfriend for my change in attitude." Nisei said, then seeing her surprise chuckled "I'll introduce you to her sometime, well reintroduce you."

"Right," Ino murmured, then rubbing the bridge of her nose started out of the clearing alongside Nisei. "For your information, I can't ask Naruto because he's busy with Hanabi and he's got a lot going on. I'm not going to add more burdens to that. Also, you've never seen him teach Hanabi, I would rather avoid the pain and torture."

"Ah, hardcore teacher?" Nisei asked, sounding interested.

"Bat shit insane, no remorse," Ino answered "and with the lack of sleep we know he got out there...I'm not anxious to have such a powerful and undoubtedly crabby ninja trying to teach me complicated jutsu."

"True, that would amount to suicide."

"Poor Hanabi." Ino said pausing to glance at Nisei who nodded slightly "still better that girl than us."

"Indeed. Lunch?"

"Kami, yes."

* * *

_Hi no Kuni, Somewhere in Region 2..._

"Looks abandoned." Idate said softly, peering through the gloom into the dark village. Or more accurately through the tiny binoculars, enhanced by seals, so that they could see at night.

"It's not." Anko said, then at his curious look held up a tiny garden snake curled around her forearm, explaining without words how she knew.

Idate nodded, wondering how long she could remain stable in this situation. Mitarashi Anko had a reputation within the ANBU for being a bit unstable when it came to things involving her sensei, hence why he had been sent along with her. So far however, she had yet to flip out or do something completely insane, which actually worried him.

"So, any ninja or villagers?" Idate asked, turning back to his binoculars, deciding to leave well enough alone.

"Neither," Anko answered "Shi-nin are all over the place though. Five groups of two mainly concentrated in the residential and market area."

"Ok, so we found the base," Idate muttered trying to peer into the tiny village to see the enemy "what do we do next?"

"Move in, get more info, then we scorch the earth." Anko answered a disturbing glee in her tone.

"Wait, what?" Idate asked, paling as he turned to stare at her. Wiping out a village, one of their own? Had she finally snapped or did she honestly think that to be a good plan. "We can't just wipe out a village!"

"Not a village," Anko remarked, a disturbingly somber look on her face "its an enemy base. There are no civilians in there, just monsters and its our job to get the information and remove the threat."

"Are you serious?" Idate asked in disbelief "we can't be sure there aren't any villagers in there. You're snakes could have missed 'em!"

"Yes, that's why I said we go and get the info first."

"This, this is insane!" Idate said, rubbing his neck, trying to work this out. Admittedly she had a point, but if they just killed the Shinin then they could recapture the village. Scorching the earth meant turning the village and surrounding area to an uninhabitable wasteland, not something one did when you could help it.

"This is war, of course its insane." Anko returned sharply "nothing about war is sane. Its a violent, bloody, brutal mess...entirely different than anything *you* have ever experienced."

Idate remained silent, how could he respond to that? His conscious said this to be a bad decision, his rational mind as well, but he had a job to do and it was a war. Idate had killed before, numerous times, as well as done things that would break normal ninja. So he could do this but just because he could did not mean Idate had to like it.

Sensing his surrender she pressed on firmly "So this is how it'll go down. We move in, you take out the groups of Shinin, remember instant kill techniques only, and I go lookin for information and any villagers that might be around."

"Ahuh, and why do _I_ have to fight the Shinin?" Idate asked dryly, sensing something fishy going on.

"We're going to be using your Rengoku Hirameki no Jutsu to seal the deal," Anko explained, fishing out a scroll "and it takes time to set that up. So I figure you kill 'em, set it up then get to a safe distance. Then when I give the signal, you'll know it when you see it, use this scroll and summon me like with the Chūnin Exam Proctors when you made Chūnin."

"Ah," Idate managed, taking the scroll and pocketing it carefully. Of course she would have a logical argument, but he still felt there had to be something fishy going on with the decision.

"Oh and, I've been meaning to ask," Anko said as she stood "how hot exactly does that Rengoku Hirameki burn?"

"Two thousand and two hundred degrees, that's instant incineration." Idate answered standing as well, giving her a strange look "that's why its listed as the strongest of the Katon element jutsu."

"Good to know." Anko muttered, "Let's go, come in from the west side. I'm going to enter near the governmental section of the village."

"Right." Idate said, with a fraction of a nod before they both set out to the village in a few Shunshin's. Reaching the edge of the village they separated, as planned. Now that he had objectives, he could focus on that and place his personal feelings on the scorched earth concept aside.

Avoiding the main street, the most obvious entrance route, he instead chose an alley and slinked into the village. Senses honed through numerous life or death struggles were kicking into overdrive, as did his mind as considered his options. He had to strike quick however, the only 'instant kill' technique he had would both do as much damage to him as his enemies and require a substantial amount of chakra.

He'd have to keep his Shiori Hi use to a minimum, two times at most, which left him with eight he had to kill without it. Combined with the knowledge of what failure meant and what exactly these Shinin were supposed to be, he felt growing frustration. If he had to do this, then he would definitely need the high ground and jumping, one foot touched the rim of a garbage can to push off.

In mid-leap however, something crashed into him. He hit the wall with a thud, then the ground, grappling with his attacker. Shoulders and back throbbing he lashed out, hammering away at the things ribs. That quickly stopped when the first punishing punch hammered down on his mask with a deep cracking sound.

"Fuck!" Idate shouted ANBU masks were designed to withstand some serious punishment, cracking it with a punch did not bode well. Strong or not, the freak didn't seem to understand the concept of ground fighting. Rearing back for another punch, he unbalanced himself and Idate quickly countered, hands grabbing the shirt and heaved as his hips bucked tossing the bastard off at an angle.

Free, Idate scrambled back to his feet and spun kunai sailing from his hand in the same motion. His attacker regained its feet awkwardly, even as kunai thudded into its back. Turning it took several more in a ragged line from stomach to chest. Grinning as the thing charged, Idate raised his finger and muttered a single word "Ignite."

The various explosive notes made short work of the monster, though it left Idate with ringing ears and dots in front of his eyes. His moment of satisfaction evaporated as his peripheral vision caught a hint of movement from the left. Idate moved on instinct, side-stepping the attack and then countering with a quick kick to the back of the Shinin's right knee, sending the thing tumbling forward.

As the thing recovered, Idate began forming the hand seals needed for his Shiroi Hi. Grasping his left wrist, the felt the heat beginning to build and then suddenly the flame ignited with a brilliant whiteness, spreading up his arm to the elbow. The Shinin lunged a second later -apparently they really were mindless- and Idate shoved his hand forward catching it in the chest.

In seconds the white flames seared through flesh and melted bone and incinerated the heart, after that the flames spread and he pulled his hand free as he spun, flinging the smoldering corpse aside. Flames guttering and then dying, he swore, that were one use down, but at least it had worked, and B-rank or not it definitely did the job of mimicking the Hokage's infamous technique.

Setting off he nearly ran right into another pair of Shinin, apparently drawn by the sound of the explosions. Obviously these things had an instinctive attraction to loud noises; he'd file that away for later. Dodging back, he connected with a round kick to the nearest Shinin's head, sending it stumbling into its partner.

He got a tight chuckle out of that, they might not feel pain, but momentum and speed could still affect them. Dodging back as they regrouped he took one out with an explosive kunai to the face, not that its partner seemed to notice or care. It merely shoved the tumbling body aside and charged fists swinging with blinding speed.

Naruto had either been understating how fast these damn things were or he didn't realize how freaking fast he had to be moving. It was all Idate could to keep up with the damn thing, it should have been impossible to attain this sort of speed. Hands coming up as he dodged, the ANBU rapidly formed the seals and ignited the white flames once more.

A second later he reversed motions, ducking a punch and darting forward so that he came up on the inside of its guard. Searing flames met throat and the body hit the ground with little more than a smoldering stump in place of a head. Panting, the flames guttering and dying, he felt revulsion roll through him for no discernible reason.

"At six hundred and fifty degrees rocks start melting, at two hundred and twelve degrees water and human blood boil." He repeated softly, the ritual he used to get his mind off any revulsion he ever felt. "The Shiroi Hi burns at roughly five hundred and ten degrees, and sustained use can melt ANBU forearm protectors."

Speaking of which, he glanced at the forearm protector the edges already starting to lose form. Well steel did melt at thirteen hundred and seventy degrees, and he'd subjected it to a thousand some odd degrees just now. Which mean he'd had have to probably get the long sleeve under it surgically removed from his arm.

"Bah, I've still got six more of these damn things to take out." Idate muttered, pushing on, wanting to finish up the fighting so he could get to the complicated part of the mission.

* * *

Anko pressed her lips into a thin line, studying the walled up building with a wary eye. Finding the place hadn't been hard; snake and Kage Bunshin were excellent for that sort of thing. The problem laid with the door or more accurately the complex seal on the door that she hadn't seen for a very long time, not since she had helped Orochimaru apply it to one of his labs in Konoha.

The seal was designed to keep things inside, it'd be easy for her -otherwise it'd take a master like Jiraiya- to break through the seal and open the waiting door. The problem Anko faced though was if she should risk unleashing whatever happened to be waiting just beyond it. Why bind the door with a seal, unless whatever lay on the other side happened to be extremely dangerous or beyond your control?

Careful consideration, there was a real chance that whatever waited beyond the door would be much worse than a Shinin, went out the window for her when the first influx of information came in. Her various Kage Bunshin had been patrolling the village, and apparently they'd found several groups of Shinin inside a couple of the surrounding business.

Apparently the Kage Bunshin tripped something, because those Shinin were now starting to move out of their buildings.

Biting her thumb, Anko applied the counter seal, and kicked the door open with a loud 'crack'. Rushing inside, trench coat fluttering, she only hoped that Idate had finished the preparations for his jutsu and could pull her out when ready. Moving down the hallway at a clipped pace, she noted a few doors that branched off, but upon trying them discovered they were locked.

Hurrying further down the dark hallway, she reached another door which swung open to reveal a claustrophobic and barren room. More importantly the room held a balding middle aged man, who seemed genuinely startled by her presence. "Y-you're not supposed to be here."

"I get that a lot." Anko said giving the room a once over, then hurrying toward the man who backed away quickly.

"H-hey, don't you know you can't be here!"

"There are two things I'm sure about right now; one is that this village is going to be vaporized." Anko smiled sweetly, as his back touched the wall "and two that unless you tell me what the fuck I want to know, you'll be going with it."

"I'm not going to-urk!" he managed as one hand grasped his neck like a vice and the blade of a kunai slipped a fraction of an inch into his side.

"I want you to think carefully about what you say," Anko hissed, face moving close to his, her grin almost sexual "I _enjoy_ killing. So tell me what I want to know, or...well, go on, ask me."

"O-or what?" he choked out, staring at her in terror.

"I slip this kunai into you a little more, its right beneath the tenth rib, which means..." Anko breathed, pausing for dramatic effect "it'll deflate your lung. You'll suffocate with all the air in the world available."

"Y-you wou-" he started then yelped as she twisted the handle slightly, "Ok!"

"Good boy." Anko said, easing her face back but her smile never slipping. "Now then, tell me about the Shinin."

"W-which ones?" he asked, a hint of panic in his tone.

"What do you mean 'which ones'? There's just one kind- " Anko trailed off, mind racing as she realized that to be a foolish assumption.

"No," the scientist said, shaking his head "these Shinin are only the _first _phase. They can't mold chakra; they don't and can't last long in high-stress combat situations. All they have are heightened parts of the Central Nervous and Endocrine Systems, along with increased output from key Adrenal Glands."

"Which means...?"

"This means, they are designed for brief fights. Prolonged combat 'burns' them out." The scientist said "just like the first one Haurno-sama created."

"You mean that little cunt Sakura?" Anko asked, gaze darkening. A real reason to kill that pink haired bitch springing to mind: Anko could have forgiven following Sasuke, but to actively help Orochimaru? That, in Anko's opinion, was unforgivable.

"Y-yes, Kabuto-sama had abandoned the project but Orochimaru-sama allowed her to take over."

"How do they work?" Anko asked, pressing the kunai firmly against his ribs.

"T-the process is simple. We locate subjects and inject them with a chemical we call 'Naiichimei'. It does most of the work, shutting down key areas of the brain and within the body, while heightening others. It slows the decomposition rate. The only problem is that the bodies are rendered inert, they can't move without the seal."

"Seal?"

"It's the key to the Shinin," he said, almost panicked "Nobody understands how it works, just that it does."

"And you said these are just the first phase?" Anko asked, filing the information away for future reference. "What does that involve?"

"Y-yes, the second phase. It involves creating Shinin capable of molding chakra." Here he paused and gulped "Phase three, is geared toward the eventual use of captured enemy ninja."

"What stage are you at now?" Asked Anko, dread filling her at the staggering implications.

"First phase here, there are three labs starting phase two."

"...damn," Anko sighed, so much for just wiping out the village and solving the problem. Not that the village wasn't going to be eradicated, but well now things were getting complicated. She hated it when that happened, still no point in hanging around any longer, releasing his throat and stepping back grabbed his arm roughly "right, time to go."

"O-k?" He managed before stumbling after as she ran back the way she came, bursting through the shattered lab door and out to the street.

Yanking him around, a quick shot to the neck knocked him unconscious and she began fishing in her coat pockets. Shuriken, kunai, needles, and thumbtacks...come one on she had them in there somewhere. Fingers finding the thin handle she grinned, pulling the large kunai bound by special explosive notes, nothing that would do real damage but still impressive.

Chakra surging to her muscles she coiled back and then released it high over head, the weapon moving at a decent pace. Stooping down she grabbed the expert and hefted him up in dead man's lift, while over head the notes went off with a brilliant display of fireworks, signaling her desire to get the hell out of dodge.

The sudden jerk of the summoning scroll almost startled her, but she had suffered such things before and adjusted. The world turned dark, then red and then finally she had her feet on the ground once more remaining unmoving like the old expert she was. Dropping the scientist like a sack of potatoes she turned in time to see the real fireworks begin.

Standing on the hill, at just within the safe range of the coming assault and the outer-limits of the scroll, she watched as the Rengoku Hirameki no Jutsu exploded to life. The massive pillar of blue and white flames turned night to day, then with a roar and rush, flashed outward vaporizing the country side for a mile around the village in each direction. The white and blue flames swirled and danced, crackling and spreading like a living thing.

"Damn, that just gets better each time I see it." Anko whispered, gleefully.

* * *

AN:

Jikininki (human eating ghosts)- For a roughly western equivlent think Ghoul. Jikininki are the spirits of greedy, selfish or impious individuals who are cursed after death to seek out and eat human corpses.

*Edit* 8-29-10: Added a scene I only now realized was missing.


	24. Chapter 22: Paths Converge

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 22:  
-_Paths Converge_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

Naruto could admit to feeling a bit self-conscious, for many reasons: he'd been forced to summon another bird (they were a tad embarrassing) for Ino to use as a scout, she'd intentionally collapsed in his arms so he'd watch her body as she did her scouting bit, while both Hanabi and Nisei watched him in bemusement.

Feeling her stir he coughed, moving back to allow her to adjust herself, and grabbed the city map. They'd been given the mission to check on a few villages, trying to mark them as clear of Oto ninja and anyone that'd been trapped by the Oto advanced. So far they'd cleared three, with only minimum Oto involvement interestingly enough, and this would be the last one before they headed back to Konoha.

"So?" Nisei asked quietly, prompting Ino to stop stretching and focus on them.

"It appears empty, no villagers or Oto forces." She said, and Naruto nodded, scanning the map spread out on the ground.

"I really don't like this," Hanabi muttered, lips pressed into a thin line "none of our Kage Bunshin found a single person either."

"Which obviously means-" Ino started before being interrupted by Naruto.

"Don't say it."

"-it's a trap." Ino finished much to Naruto's chagrin. Why couldn't people leave well enough alone, didn't they know that *saying* stuff like that ensured that things would be ten times worse than it would be otherwise? Ino shrugged, but didn't seem apologetic and the blond merely grumbled as Nisei began laying out the 'plan'.

Basically it consisted of them each splitting up -Naruto felt his stomach sinking- and taking a section search the 'abandoned' village before meeting up in the middle of town. He kept quiet though, no point in bringing even more bad karma down on them by suggesting they always did this in horror movies. Hanabi however, decided to mention it anyway.

"You know, this reminds me of the plan in the movie 'Dawn of the Undead Samurai'."

"Hanabi," Naruto groaned, palming his face "why'd you have to say that. Why..."

"Naruto," Ino grumbled, shooting him a glare "just because someone mentions similarities to horror movies, or says that something obviously is a trap, does not mean bad things will happen."

"Easy for you to say," Naruto muttered, rolling up the map. If they had a demon sealed in them they would understand bad things happened a lot on a routine basis. Demons drew that sort of thing like a moth to a flame.

"I agree it is easy for them to say." Nisei added, sounding equally reluctant. Giving him a look, Naruto wondered at the way the other man's body language mirrored his own. Strange, why would Nisei- "this team has a history of 'bad things' happening. Especially to certain, unique, members."

"Right!" Naruto agreed, quickly, wondering why he felt the urge to move this conversation forward quickly after the way Nisei had said unique. Filing it away he decided to bring it up later, there was something more than what the boy had said. Standing he stretched, while the others did the same, preparing for the coming mission.

"Ino-san, Hanabi-san, you should take the west and east portions of Komae. I will take the south, and Naruto-san-"

"The north," the blond said listlessly before turning an eye on Hanabi "Tsuru-chan, don't take any chances. If you run into a Jōnin, get out of there and find one of us, got it?"

"Right." the girl agreed with a curt nod, though Naruto doubted she actually would. Well, he had been about the same at that rank and he had trained her to be better than the average Chūnin so she'd at least stand a chance if she did do something stupid like try to fight a Jōnin.

"Scatter." Nisei said shortly after and the team did just that, leaving Naruto alone and annoyed. Turning he made his way into the medium sized village, sour on the fact that he had gotten his hopes up. He hadn't been able to help it of course; they were on an A-rank mission to take out an Oto Jōnin team guarding an enemy headquarters. A lot of fighting to be sure, now the mission had changed to something else, and he really didn't like it not one damn bit.

Plus the village showed no signs of having ever been an Oto base.

Taking to the rooftops of the village, the blond moved swift and silent, wondering what horrible fate would befall him. Mind roaming over the numerous and painful results of this mission, he nearly missed the flicker of movement below him. Coming to a stop abruptly, the Konoha Chūnin crouched peering down into the empty moonlit street.

The silvery light created an eerie contrast among the street and buildings. The air was still, stifling almost, funny how he didn't notice that before, and a moment later he spotted the source of the flicker. An Oto ninja, dressed in the standard gear, exited a building, obviously on patrol. He paused, as if feeling Naruto watching him, before he continued onward.

Naruto trailed him silently over the rooftops, trying to see if there were other Oto's around. None presented themselves, even when he had created Kage Bunshin to check the previous locations, prompting Naruto to decide and move in for the kill. Normally he'd Henge into an Oto ninja, but if this one happened to be alone that would prove useless.

Tracking the ninja, the blond judged the wind and distance, hitting a moving target from a distance had was never been easy. A lot of things could go wrong after all, but thankfully he didn't have to this time. Selecting a Kunai he twirled it around his forefinger expertly for a moment, then snapped the kunai to a stop and hurled it at the unaware Oto nin.

Flashing through a few seals he grinned wickedly "Kunai Kage Bunshin!"

The enemy dodged the hail of kunai, which left the street littered with metal blades, and landing in a crouch threw his own. They exploded on contact as they hit the building Naruto had been on, but the blond had moved. The Oto moved back despite his surprise as she found a blond, whiskered Konoha ninja, arm swept back with a trench knife in hand in striking distance.

Channeling his wind chakra along the blade Naruto lashed out, lopping off both a hand -that had come up to attack- and the enemies head. He watched both tumble away, then watched the body collapse without a sound in a pool of blood. Wiping at his face, Naruto grimaced remembering why he tended to avoid beheadings like that, he'd have to make sure to take a bath soon as he could.

Sensing something, he couldn't quite place what; Naruto began molding more wind chakra through his trench knife. Seeing his breath, which seemed odd considering the warm night, he began to intently scan his surroundings, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. He wanted to laugh it off as merely being paranoid, but he knew better and a second later he had his evidence as he spotted a girl at the mouth of an alley.

She was about his height, roughly his age, dressed in an over long white t-shirt with long, black disheveled hair.

"Hi?" Naruto said, disturbed at her silence and the way she just stared at him. The girl remained stationary for another minute then started backing into the alley, before turning to race away, the shadows swallowing her whole. Naruto stared for a moment then started after her, muttering about how he would end up regretting it.

He could hear her footsteps ahead of him and then abruptly it disappeared. Followed shortly thereafter by Naruto slamming into a wall and falling back on his butt. Rubbing at his face he glared at the offending object before looked around before and turning back to stare at it in disbelief.

A dead end and no sign of the girl. Genjutsu? No, his seal would have shrugged it off, not a whole lot other options though. Getting up he dusted his pants off and then glared at the wall, turning to leave when he heard the sound of rustling clothes from overhead. Pausing he looked up and found the girl on the top of the alley wall a purple floating flame next to her, she stared down at him for a moment before jumping off to the other side without a sound.

"Figures," Naruto muttered sourly, thinking dark thoughts about the Kyūbi and the jinxes from his teammates "everyone else gets to fight ninja; I'm the idiot that gets the supernatural crap."

* * *

Hatake Kakashi had been Hokage for nearly three years, he had adjusted reasonably well to the task. He had helped strengthen Konoha, though some made no secret that his decisions were less than universally approved. It didn't matter to him; as long as he left the village strong and viable then it would be enough for him.

The one thing the Godaime Hokage could not adjust to however, was being stuck behind the large desk in his office where he currently sat reading reports and signing unending paperwork. Thankfully, all he had left were a few field reports and he could have time alone to read his precious; finishing the report on the Conflict with Oto, he sighed in relief.

Hi no Kuni had managed to force the enemy back, reclaiming several key villages, it seemed that the conflict with Oto would be resolved sooner than even he expected. More importantly, the loss of Konoha life had been minimal, which meant he would not have to sign to many letters of condolences or deal with speaking at funerals for people he didn't know.

Setting the report aside, he turned to the scout report concerning the Kaze/Tsuchi War, wondering if anything had developed beyond the stalemate that had been in place for so long. He was halfway through the paper before the words registered and he started over, eye narrowing to such a point that it was almost closed. What he was reading, it did not bode well for not only Kaze no Kuni but for Kawa no Kuni or Hi no Kuni.

Apparently, the majority of the samurai had revolted and the Daimyo had committed seppuku, leaving the country in such disarray that Tsuchi no Kuni barely had to expend any effort to conquer the country. Tsuchi no Kuni had stayed true to form: any male that did not accept their rule was butchered, priestess and noble women sold into prostitution, children forced into labor camps for producing food and other items.

The only sign of resistance was in the southeast, an area Suna controlled and the refugees that were constantly being sent to Kawa no Kuni. Suna had also apparently asked for Hi no Kuni to accept them, so Kakashi would have to prepare for the message from the Daimyo one way or the other. The biggest question was this, how had Tsuchi no Kuni managed to turn so many samurai against their own country?

Kakashi could see no answer; the Tsuchi Daimyo and Tsuchikage were not charismatic enough to do it. Moreover, every general would know that any promise they made was only a trick to make you do as they wished. It was a mystery that made Kakashi uneasy on many levels, because now at the back of his mind was the thought of it happening here.

Why not, if Tsuchi had managed to do that in Kaze no Kuni it could here as well. In addition, now that Tsuchi no Kuni controlled such a large section of the continent they could attack Hi no Kuni from two different fronts at the same time. Even if Hi no Kuni managed to end this conflict with Oto before that, fighting Tsuchi no Kuni forces on two fronts -with or without their mysterious ability to convert enemy forces- would cripple the country.

Still, Tsuchi no Kuni would have to quell the Suna rebellion that would soon be occurring. That would buy Hi no Kuni time and besides, he could offer support or help to Suna. It wouldn't be much at first, but once this conflict with Oto was resolved he could send as many ninja as he wished, because it would be better if Kaze no Kuni belonged to anyone other than Tsuchi no Kuni.

With a deep sigh, the masked man leaned back in his chair and rubbed his shoulder absently. He was getting stiff, he wasn't used to being so stationary, but it wasn't as if he could just run out and fight at the drop of a hat. A Hokage, any Kage really, could not fight every battle personally because he would eventually lose and too lose was to decrease the reputation of the village.

With a deep groan, he sat up, shifting the Kaze/Tsuchi report aside and opened the folder beneath it. Grimacing he began skimming the final written report from Naruto's team. Standard fare, ingenious idea to use the cannon, it was overall a very boring report. The only reason he even skimmed it was the mention from Ino about Naruto's lack of sleep.

Nothing however, seemed to point that Naruto's judgment had been impaired or affected. From both her and Nisei's reports, it was clear that Naruto had made sound judgment calls when it was needed. Still, Kakashi worried about the blond boy and it did seem unusual for Naruto to sleep in such small amounts as the reports indicated.

"Yo!" an oddly colored and medium sized toad said, appearing from seemingly nowhere on a stack of paperwork.

"Gamakichi," Kakashi said, not looking up from the field report from Naruto's team "I take it Jiraiya-sama has more information?"

"Yeah," the toad said before he jumped from the paperwork and to the center of the desk "but first: 'In Icha Icha Volume seven, which character slept with his sister's best-friend during her wedding?'"

"Abiru Settai, page forty-five, panel six," Kakashi said with a fond sigh at remembering such a nice volume. Of course, only Kakashi could have answered that, the questions were random and required a complete memorization of the entire Icha Icha series. According to Jiriaya, the Godaime was the only fan that had ever memorized it so completely.

"Correct," the toad said before clearing its throat. "According to his sources, Akatsuki is moving with more frequency than ever. He isn't sure but he expects an attempt on Naruto any time now, so it'd be best to keep the boy out of that conflict with Oto as much as you can until he knows for sure. Also, he's not sure, but apparently Oto is trying to form an alliance with another Great Shinobi Country."

"I see," Kakashi, murmured, mind jarred at such a possibility. If Orochimaru did get another of the Great Five -or would it be four now? - to back him, this conflict would turn into a full war. With the help of the right country, there was no telling if Hi no Kuni could actually manage to win against the two combined forces.

Even if they did, there was Tsuchi no Kuni looming in the background.

"He should have more information soon so no telling when I'll be back." Gamakichi said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi sighed, slumping back into his chair, feeling older than he should. He'd have to send a messenger in the morning to tell Naruto about why his team would be stuck doing 'in-country' missions. Not that the Hokage-wannabe would be happy about the situation, but there was nothing he or Kakashi could do, Akatsuki were too big a threat.

Then there was the fact that the Clan Head's were getting antsy about when he would make his official announcement concerning Naruto. They did not like the fact that they had to keep such information from others that needed to know, nor from what those in the Kage Seiei assigned the task, were they all accepting his status. Still enough were that it was still a remained a viable plan and it would have to happen soon, but not before Naruto told his team and Anko came back from her forward scouting mission.

"I really need to find another demon fox so it can kill me," Kakashi murmured, echoing his thoughts from three years ago shortly after Naruto had first left the village. Sighing Kakashi picked up his book and began reading, trying to forget at least temporarily the problems crushing down on him and Konoha as a whole.

* * *

Nisei skidded to a halt and darted toward his enemy, desperately trying to avoid those tiny darts. Oh they might, under normal circumstance not have much effect but this man had an ability that he'd never seen before. Apparently this Suntestu could increase the velocity of his darts by using a supersonic combustion.

Hand shooting forward, Nisei hurled a flurry of glowing chakra dots at the man, only to have them pass through. Genjutsu, damn it, skidding to a halt, the Jōnin held perfectly still. The Oto ninja did not rush to act, something that seemed to be an oddity within Orochimaru's force, they tended to have Naruto's temper.

Catching movement on his left, Nisei dodged back as a hail of darts passed in front of him. He winced as one nicked his leg, ripping the fabric and leaving a deep slash on his thigh. Landing heavily he began forming seals, which did nothing, then cast both hands forward hurling glowing dots at his enemy, the cloud of chakra-charged bugs decimating the area.

Leaving behind a Kikaichu Bunshin, which exploded into dots of chakra soon after, while Nisei quickly sought cover inside a nearby building. If he could gain the high ground, he would have an advantage. Coming to a stop he crouched down, peering through a window, trying to locate his enemy but it appeared that he hadn't been the only one to take cover.

Things seemed to have fallen into a lull, they were both long range fighters and both preferred the moderate approach to combat. This was proving to be a difficult fight, especially with the sound of explosions from earlier, they had definitely come from where Hanabi should have been patrolling. Not that he needed to think or worry; Ino or Naruto would have arrived by now.

Hanabi's skill could not be discounted either, she easily stood as one of the strongest Genin he had encountered. Actually, like any experienced Shinobi, he knew that the rank of Genin meant little in the real world. Hanabi had the same level of skill found among those select Chūnin that were brought into the ANBU. So if any 'Genin' could survive an encounter with an enemy Jōnin it should be Hanabi, especially with two clearly Jōnin level ninja soon to be acting as backup.

Eyebrows drawing together behind the sunglasses, he frowned down into the street, attention returning to his own fight. His normal style seemed to be counterproductive to this situation, but the enemy made a direct confrontation impossible. Suntestu moved so quickly from spot to spot that not even the kikaichu Nisei had planted in the area with each attack could register his movement.

Nor could he seem to provoke the enemy into attacking him directly, he seemed content to attack any openings from a safe distance. He needed to find a solution, before the enemy did, though it eluded him. Well for one thing, his enemy had gone to 'ground', so the obvious first step would be to flush the man out of hiding.

Concentrating Nisei sent his desire out through his family, which moved as one, swarming into every crevice and building with an audible buzz. A moment later his enemy came through a window from across the street and Shino followed suit, hitting with a shoulder and rolling up into a crouch, hand shooting forward.

A Spray of chakra charged Kikai shot forward, forcing Suntestu to dodge and weave as the dots of charka followed him. Crossing his arms, Nisei began to charge every remaining Kikachu he had, while the others moved into position for the ambush he had planned.

Suntestu came to a skidding halt as a wall of dots exploded from the shadows of an alley, driving him right into the path of a spray of chakra dots from Nisei who had flung his arms out. Suntestu could do little since he now found himself hemmed in from all sides, at least until he decided to jump. Nisei grimaced, disappointed that he only managed to nick the man's leg but had to dodge as the man countered with his darts.

Dodging and weaving his way back, Nisei gathered several of his Kikaichu together, charging them with chakra, to create a whip of light. Skidding to a halt as the man landed, he twisted around arm whipping forward, the chain of glowing kikaichu extending rapidly.

Suntestu dodged, but Nisei would not be denied and his whip of light snared his wrist. Bracing his feet Nisei yanked sharply, shoulders straining against the momentum. Suntestu jerked and pivoting began pulling against the whip, then realizing they were at a stalemate, shot his other hand forward fingers snapping open.

No darts, pure supersonic propulsion slammed into Nisei rocketing them apart, the whip of light shattering. Landing heavily Nisei rolled to his feet, already reforming his kikaichu, but paused finding himself alone. Breathing heavily he tensed, and then stood as his family reported the object the man left behind.

Striding forward, the former Ne member looked down at the hand lying in a small puddle of blood. Family swirling and moving slowly back to his body; Nisei frowned behind his mask that had not gone as planned. Shaking his head, he turned heading in the direction of where those explosions had come from.

* * *

_Ta no Kuni, Oto Hidden Research Lab..._

It was the whining that caught his attention, not that he actually had attention in this form. He was the water, the water was him, and his consciousness didn't function in this state. But still, the whining caught what passed for his attention and despite the lethargy that enveloped him, he began pulling his mind together.

The water doesn't make it easy, normally he was at home in water, but this was purified water. That made things difficult and he hated it when things were difficult. Still, he managed to get his mind back and he suddenly understood what that whirring noise was. The auto lock on this cylinder was moving, which meant they were about to release him.

He began reforming his body, fighting the purified water every inch of the way. Sometimes he wondered why he bothered, but mostly he didn't care all he wanted was his body back. The darkness lifted and he can see through the water and the cylinder, several people moving about, releasing him in that coldly methodical way of theirs.

Just break the glass, that would let him out, but that would be too easy. Wouldn't be nearly as interesting as watching the way he struggled back to sentience, no sir, but it was pointless. Orochimaru had already stolen and adapted his ability there was no point in this macabre experiment.

There was an odd hissing noise and he realized the tank was unsealing, water gurgling through the narrow seals and then rushing out in a torrent carrying him with it. Hitting the ground, a sloping drainage basin, he managed to keep his balance well enough to maintain a crouch while looking around at the vast lab that surrounded him.

The Laboratory holding area was an architecturally–perverse nightmare of layers and levels of multiple catwalks, networks of artfully-engineered piping, and stocked with numerous glass cylinders. Many ringing the drainage basin like odd gargoyles and he wondered almost idly what Orochimaru kept sealed inside them. Then his attention shifted to the doctor and two white-coated technicians, standing on the edge of the basin staring down at him, while two guards closed in from behind.

"Hōzuki Suigetsu, please stand and present yourself for restraint." A firm voice said from directly ahead, prompting Suigetsu to tilt his head in silent consideration. Amachi was thinner than he remembered and his hair a little greyer as well, but no less self-important from what Suigetsu could tell: Well he always enjoyed fixing that little situation.

Whirling he planted a savage round-kick into the first guard's stomach, doubling him over. Grabbing a kunai from the helpless man, he pivoted throwing the bladed weapon with almost haphazard care, planting if firmly in the second guards' forehead. Spinning back, he slammed his arm into the neck of the first guard, crushing his larynx and at the same time straightening him, before a sidekick sent him flying away.

Rounding he grinned ferally at the surprised and terrified medical group, lunging toward them. At least until a powerful kick to his face sent him rocketing away. Hitting the ground and rolling partially back down to the bottom of the drainage pit, he swore loudly, blinking the spots away from his eyes.

"Gah, you stupid Kappa. Put on some damn pants!"

Even through his daze Suigetsu knew that indignant voice, chuckling he carefully regained his feet, staring at the affronted looking Karin. Well this at least explained who had released him, though not why, but he would learn that soon enough. Seeing her huff and look away from his nudity, he grumbled and turning began stripping the nearest guard.

"So what's the deal?" Suigetsu asked, fumbling with the stupid belt of the pants. Realizing that Karin wasn't about to speak, he turned toward her "Hey, I'm talking to you. Why exactly are you here, what's going on?"

"Orochimaru-sama ordered me to help out an ally, and left me to decide the team." Karin answered waspishly, not looking at him "As disgusting as your chakra is, you're the only one that'll work with me."

"Eh?" Suigetsu managed, letting her comment of his chakra slide. He had tried figuring out why his chakra disgusted her, but he'd never gotten an answer and it was too much trouble to focus on at the moment.

"It's simple," Karin said, her tone heavy "We two are the only ones that the other can trust within Oto. We know exactly where the other stands, what the other's goals are and know the risks of double-crossing each other."

"Heh, what risk is there double-crossing some chakra horny fan girl?" Suigetsu asked, laughing as he pulled his pants up. He wasn't expecting the blow to the side of his head that sent him stumbling into a nearby wall. "Owww! Fuck that hurt!"

"Watch your mouth, you Kappa." Karin said, glaring daggers at him. Huffing, she straightened her shirt, turning away "Now finish getting dressed, this 'Tobi' will be here soon."

"Tobi, yeah that's an impressive name." Suigetsu muttered, snagging the shirt at his feet "probably some over-weight old guy."

"Over-weight or not," Karin said, glancing at the other liquid filled tanks idly "he's strong enough to garner cooperation from Orochimaru-sama. Besides, you should be grateful, without him you'd still be floating in that brine."

"Look, all I know is, once we get this damn thing finished I'm going after my swords." Suigetsu said, stepping up to hover behind her, which he knew she hated. Especially when he slurped water, which reminded him that he'd have to find a bottle soon. Therefore he was surprised when Karin merely turned her head, gracing him with a half smile.

"What's wrong with you?" Suigetsu asked, more than a little worried.

"Nothing." Karin said, her half-smile staying firmly in place "just had an interesting thought."

"Right." Suigetsu managed, taking several quick steps away from the girl. She never smiled like that, at least not at him, and he wasn't about to stay that close to her to find out what sort of violence she had in mind.

"It's just," Karin continued, closing the hastily created gap, holding his gaze effortlessly "You want your swords and I want my brother dead."

"Brother?" Suigetsu asked, scowling, as far as he knew Karin didn't have one.

"Half-brother," she explained, hand reaching out to touch his chest "Uzumaki Naruto. His dad seduced my mom, convinced her to abandon her family and run away with him."

"Karin," Suigetsu said slowly, reaching up to pull her hand away from his chest, utterly creeped out "as fascinating as this is, I don't-"

"He knows the location of Kubikiri Hōchō, the sword of Momochi Zabuza." Karin said, her smile wider "After were done, lets help each other out. What do you say?"

"Zabuza-sempai's sword?" Suigetsu said, stunned. So stunned in fact that he didn't even notice Karin putting her other hand on his chest. Out of all the Seven Swordsmen of Mist, he had always viewed Zabuza in the highest of regard. That man, the Kijin no Kiri, had been the most blood-thirsty and violent man to ever live.

The chance to claim such a sword...

"Aww, you two look so cute like that!" A new, loud, and childish voice said.

Suigetsu, suddenly aware of Karin pressing her body against him (not that he minded, she was attractive after all) jerked away from the equally startled red head. Thankfully, rather than taking her violence out on him, she zeroed in on the interloper. Who Suigetsu noticed wore a black cloak with red clouds and an orange swirl mask.

"He-Hey! No need to get violent!" the man said, apparently moving so fast that any object or attack against his person seemed to pass through him. Coming to a halt, cowering behind Suigetsu he added "I'm Tobi! Ally! Orochimaru sent me!"

"Tobi?" Karin asked in mid-charge, eyes widening.

"Uh huh," Tobi said, cautiously stepping from behind Suigetsu "Don't hurt me, I promise I'll behave. Tobi's a good boy."

Suigetsu's mouth twitched, pressure building from his stomach and he started laughing. Oh Karin was going to hurt him later, but he couldn't help it, this Tobi was hilarious.

* * *

Gliding along the rooftop, since it offered the best vantage point for observation, Hanabi wondered at the emptiness of the village. Pausing to study the street below her, she frowned slightly. This would have been easier if she could use the Kage Bunshin to the same effect that Naruto could, even Ino could produce a decent amount. Hanabi though, could only manage a maximum of ten and even with her excellent control it drained her severely.

So she had been forced to patrol the best way she could, via rooftops. After all she would need all the chakra and stamina she could get when the trap finally sprung and she found herself face to face with an enemy. Seeing nothing the young girl continued on, leaping to the next rooftop silently as her training permitted.

Attention lapsing, Hanabi started wondering as she sometimes did, about her actual ability. Ino and others had commented on the fact that she had been better trained than the average Chūnin, but looking back she didn't see it. Her most notable combat experience had been against the Iwa Chūnin, other than that she had no accurate way of gauging her progress.

This mission could provide that, she needed to know and not just for her own peace of mind. To be the best tool she could for Naruto, to help him as best she could, Hanabi needed to know how far she had come. He had put a lot of time and effort into her, not just training her, but forging a familial bond that she had craved.

So yes, Hanabi needed to know and despite what Naruto told her, she would not retreat from an enemy.

Mind moving onto other topics, Konohamaru for one, her foot snapped a nearly invisible wire and the sound of a hiss filled the air. The only thing that saved her from the explosive notes that went off a moment later was her instincts, which had her jumping to the street below before she had fully grasped the situation. Landing as the building she had been on collapsed inward from the blast, Hanabi looked around in a panic.

Moving to a more defensive position, she tripped yet another explosion. Pitched forward by the blast, she crashed face first into a large chunk of rubble and stumbled away stunned. A rain of kunai nearly impaled her, her instincts once more saved her though blood dotted the ground where she had been. Pivoting around, the pain helping her focus, she dodged another hail of weapons and skidded to a halt looking around wildly for her attacker.

A cartwheel let her avoid another assault and skidding to a halt, Hanabi activated the Hakken no jutsu, heart pounding. She couldn't find a trace of her enemy, and she concentrated even more chakra to the technique, trying to find some hint of them. So focused on seeing them she nearly took a kunai to the back, but her sixth sense honed from training with Naruto saved her yet again.

Spinning at the last second, the kunai leaving a thin cut along her arm, she found her startled enemy. He stood a little taller than Naruto; he had an athletic frame and short hair. Hanabi didn't really notice that, instead she moved for the kill that she sensed looming before her.

Darting in, she caught him by surprise with a punch to the ribs followed by a flurry of blows, before with grace beyond her years; she finished with a spinning side-kick that sent him stumbling away. Following after him, she closed the gap, then ducked a punch and countered with a jump that allowed her to deliver a flying head butt to his chin.

As he toppled backward, she managed to plant her feet on his chest and push off. He completed his fall and she performed a graceful back flip, eventually landing in a crouch, one leg kicked out to the side. Panting, but far from winded, she couldn't help, but smirk in self-satisfaction. As he got back to his feet, she exploded forward with a Shunshin.

He noted her approach at the last second, yet even flatfooted he smirked in a way that bothered Hanabi. With a speed and power that amazed Hanabi, he brought his knee up sharply, driving it into her chest. Gasping as she doubled over his blow, her feet left the ground, and then his elbow smashed down between her shoulder blades sending her crashing back to the ground in a heap.

Hanabi reeled from the sudden shift in battle and the following kick to her stomach that sent her rolling away did little to help. Gasping for air, the Genin struggled to focus through the pain and force her way to her hands and knees. Hearing his approach, she glanced back to find him only moments away from being on top of her.

Her body moved of its own accord, as it normally did sparring Naruto, and she spun around while throwing all her weight onto a single arm. Her attacker had too much momentum to avoid the following side-kick that extended just as he reached her. The counter-momentum from the blow connecting allowed her to flip over into a crouch and move back quickly, disquieted to find him simply staring at her.

"You'll have to do a lot better than that." He said after a moment, a dark grin forming "I don't even feel those blows of yours anymore."

"I am only beginning." Hanabi returned, ignoring the fact that her body was screaming at her. The previous assault had been as hard as anything Naruto had hit her with. Still she couldn't just let him walk away and besides, this had been exactly what she wanted, this fight would tell her just how much she had improved and how much more she still lacked.

Gathering her resolve and chakra she darted forward once more, zigzagging, trying to trip him up. He seemed to take the bait and with a shunshin she shot left then right, coming out of it with a leap. Reaching the peak of her jump she came back down, a pair of kunai in each hand, intending to skewer him with a double downward stab.

The enemy however, merely reached up and caught her forearms holding her aloft. Hanabi countered by using what momentum she had and threw a kick to his face, snapping his head back. Her moment of satisfaction evaporated a minute later when he simply returned his head to the proper position and glared at her before tossing her to the side.

Hitting the ground she lost both kunai and rolled to a stop. Humiliated more than hurt now, she pushed her way back to a standing position and saw the enemy stare at her dismissively. Whatever progress she had made seemed pathetic in that glare, but she refused to give up, not until she had either brought him down or there wasn't a breath left in her body.

"You know, a little girl like you should really just run away." He said after a moment "I'm a Jōnin and I doubt you can even make me bleed now."

Hanabi wanted to retort, to prove him wrong, but the evidence supported his statement. After her initial assault all of her attacks seemed to do little more than annoy him. Deciding to switch tactics she started throwing kunai with exploding notes, decimating the street and buildings as he weaved his way through her assault.

Moving back as she realized the man was moving toward her, she continued her kunai assault. Her ears were ringing and she had dots in her field of vision from the assault, yet he didn't seem bothered. A sudden burst of speed from him nearly killed her, but she managed a Kawarimi at the last second, gaining the advantage of his exposed back as she reappeared just a few feet from him.

Kunai in hand she twisted to throw it, hoping to sever his spinal cord, when he turned and holding a chunk of debris hurled it at her. She dodged with a cartwheel, while throwing her kunai, which struck him in the leg. Landing she smirked, until the chunk of debris -the size of a fist- slammed into the wall of a house and punched a hole through it.

"What are you?" Hanabi asked after a moment, looking from the wall to the man, only to find the kunai inches from her chest. If it hadn't been for her reaction time that would have been the end of her, still Hanabi threw herself painfully to the side the kunai slicing through her shoulder and then decimated the street where it impacted. Panting the young girl scrambled to her feet, only to be yanked up painfully by her hair.

She had a sensation of floating for a split second and then a sharp pain flared as her enemies' fist connected with her chest and she went flipping backward. Catching her breath was becoming harder with each second and it didn't help that she was still flipping through the air; her body though knew how to respond to the combat situation. The last flip brought her close to a building and her body twisted so that her feet made contact and her knees bent, contracting her down like a spring.

It was pure instinct when she saw him charging her, her body launched itself forward like the bolt of a crossbow. The chakra came without conscious effort and she caught him with the Kanashibari no Jutsu, freezing him in place, which allowed for her right fist to connect with his face. He stumbled in a spray of blood, and she landed heavily.

"I am a ninja," Hanabi managed thickly, darting after him and skidding to a stop and laced her hands together before catching him with a double handed blow aided by a jump. Sending him stumbling back even more, she landed and crouched, vision swimming "my name is Hanabi."

Breath coming in short, sharp stabs she charged forward, sloppily ducking a wild punch and then jumping delivered an uppercut that knocked him off his feet. Landing with a stumble she struggled to remain upright, a copper taste filling her mouth, she smiled brightly as he struggled to sit up "and I am you're executioner."

Despite her brave facade, her body continued to shout at her, her breathing wasn't getting any easier. The pain nearly blinding, it made it hard to think or concentrate, but she wouldn't stop. Pulling her forehead protector off she bound it around her hand, metal plate out, and with a loud exhale of air she started forward with as much speed as she could.

The man regained his feet, anger filling his features, just as she reached him. A hook punch to his ribs filled the air with a crack, followed by a palm heel to the chin, then another to the chest with all of her power. He stumbled back, while she tripped and collapsed to a knee, darkness encroaching on the edges of her vision.

Struggling her way back up she started forward once more, an uppercut heading toward his stomach when he caught her fist and squeezed. A cry of pain escaped her and he grinned maliciously before slamming a left cross into her cheek followed by a back fist which sent her flying. Another crack filled the air, this time from her shoulder since he had delayed letting her fist go, and painfully she hit the cratered ground with a bounce before landing in a broken heap.

Consciousness held on by a thread, one that was severely tested when his foot connected with her stomach and sent her skidding back, coughing up blood. Her mind started retreating, death certain even as he grabbed her dislocated arm and lifted her up. She tried to meet his cold gaze, but it was impossible, her vision too distorted to make out anything clearly.

"You're a brave little bitch, I'll give you that." he said darkly, his other hand holding a kunai as it pulled back for the finishing blow "but you were outclassed the instant you hit me. I can convert body damage to strength and durability."

Somewhere, in the depths of her brain, something clicked. It wasn't articulated as a word, thought, or image, it manifested as action. Her arm shot forward faster than the eye could register, fingers making contact with his throat. The blow would mean nothing, but the burst of chakra, which pierced through flesh and found the second of the three Sokushi Dageki, meant everything.

A Shiro Hasu Dageki with the last of her strength.

She hit the ground without noticing, the body of her enemy already growing cold.

Somewhere a Shinigami laughed.

* * *

_Somewhere in Hi no Kuni…_

"Its' getting worse."

The pink haired girl currently bent over the battered table, studying a notebook while mixing herbs looked up, and over at her husband. He stood close by, leaning against a wall with a trembling arm; sweat trickling slowly along his grimacing face. His eyes were boring into her despite the pain that coursed through his body, and she sighed softly.

"You shouldn't push yourself." Sakura said, turning back to her medicinal work "I've already increased the dosage."

"Hn."

Sakura wanted to get up and shake him by his shoulders, he might not care but she did. Sakura had made him her universe, had done things that she could never undo, and he had come to depend on her greatly. However, Sasuke didn't understand there was only so much she could do, that cursed seal of Orochimaru's was going to kill him.

Finishing the pill tiredly she stood and offered it to the man she loved. He took it with trembling fingers and then gulped it down, eyes clenching shut a second later. The veins in his neck corded, his muscles seized up, a sort of tremor running through his body before he collapsed.

Sakura was ready and caught him, trained from years of experience with this reaction. The medicine interfered with the enzymes of the cursed seal, minimizing the effects of the cursed seal, but it also took a heavy toll on his body. More than that, the dosage had to be increased every three pills, they were soon going to run out of ways to control the seal.

Sasuke stirred slowly, then regaining his strength pulled away before stumbling to the nearby cot. Sakura watched in despair, knowing that soon he'd be lost to her, unless she did something drastic. He eased his body down and Sakura sighed, walking over to sit on the edge next to him.

"We lucked out finding one of Tsunade-shishou's old labs." Hand glowing green, Sakura checked his body over, almost blanching as she discovered that the newly increased dosage already weakening. The rate of absorption had increased faster than she would imagine possible.

"After I rest, we'll get more supplies." Sasuke murmured, looking at her "Tenmou-chan, what about you? Do you have enough-"

"There was just enough." Sakura murmured, reassuring her husband, hand resting on his chest. Leave it to Sasuke to be more worried about her continued ability to suppress her artificial Sharingan than his own well-being. "Tensai, don't worry about me. First, we take care of you and that cursed seal, this is a good base for the moment. After all who would ever expect us to hide out here?"

"Hn."

"I promise it won't take long." Sakura said, reaching up to stroke his forehead, fear clutching at her heart. "Konoha has the best medical research facilities and nobodies looking for us here. When we've solved our problems, we'll move. I promise your brother will be dead within the year."

The only response from Sasuke was the deep, even breathing of slumber. Breathing out slowly, Sakura closed her eyes fighting the tears. Everything was going wrong, and she couldn't prevent any of it, all of her sacrifices and betrayals were in vain.

Reaching up Sakura covered her eyes, trying not to cry, and failing.

* * *

Ino had expected it to be harder, as traps went this had to rank as the worst. You ambushed enemies, not sit out in the open on the steps of a library and wait for them. Yet here the Oto nin sat, or rather stood, her full lips curved into a seductive smile though it didn't quite reach her blue eyes.

"I'm Keikoku," the older teen said proudly, flicking her black hair over her shoulder and showing off her attractive figure in one motion "in every sense of that word."

Ino blinked, at a loss for words, the tactic of using your looks she could understand -Anko taught kunoichi to use all their weapons- but to be so proud of such thing seemed wrong. The teen, still smiling, adjusted her low cut top before frowning as she noticed that Ino didn't seem impressed or enraptured with her little show. Ino of course, had seen such tricks before and she didn't know why the girl bothered unless...

"You're not a lesbian are you?"

"...I knew it." Ino sighed darkly; undoubtedly the source of such a rumor within Oto would be Sakura. "No, I'm not."

"Ah, I should have known." Keikoku said, pouting "Are you sure?"

"Yes I am sure." Ino snapped angrily, promising horrible vengeance to Sakura for blowing that kiss out of proportion. "Even if I was, you're not _that_ attractive."

"I've turned straight girls before." Keikoku confided with a saucy grin.

"Can we just fight, please?"

"We already are." Keikoku said, and Ino realized the trap she'd bumbled into. Genjutsu, hand coming up the blond molded the chakra and letting out a breath cancelled the illusion, just as a kunai reached her. Ino though, had trained with Anko and managed to snatch the weapon and hurl it away at the last second, before fixing her glare on the other woman.

Further conversation or attacks were disrupted by the sound of a loud explosion, in the direction of the area that Hanabi had been patrolling. Realizing that her time seemed limited, Ino darted forward with a Shunshin, hand going to her sword. She had just the technique, one that Naruto would have found amusing in its creativity.

"Odori no Hime!"

Keikoku, who had been caught by surprise with the explosion, turned just in time to see Ino come out of her Shunshin and jump with a spin. Ino, reaching the peak of her jump, flipped and began a series of hand seals. A second later, a genjutsu formed creating a swirl of leaves to blind her opponent for a moment. Completing her flip Ino descended gracefully, delivering a stomp kick to the other teens face, followed by a backflip.

Landing Ino immediately followed up with a spinning side-kick which sent the other girl rolling away with a livid bruise on her cheek. Grinning Ino charged after her, before another loud explosion filled the air, distracting her. The Oto Kunoichi however, didn't share that problem and rolling into a crouch opened her mouth, emitting a loud scream that shattered a lamp post that got caught in the blast.

Ino managed a Kawarimi at the last minute, leaving behind a trash can, which promptly shattered along with the surrounding area. Foot touching the ground, registering that fact, Ino fired off several shuriken. Keikoku noticed and countered with another high-pitched scream, scattering the weapons without any apparent effort.

Ino though, already had her next move planned and forming the seals turned the ground beneath the girl's feet to mud. Startled the Oto sank, then looking up caught a Shuushuku Kitei no Jutsu full on. Ino used it to her advantage and ran straight in, then as the jutsu wore off making it appear as if she moved faster than a shunshin, Ino jumped with a surge of chakra to her legs.

Reaching the peak, her sword slid from the scabbard and rose over head, a picture perfect Haikei Tsuki. Normally it'd be a finishing move in such a situation, instead Ino found herself blasted backward by another of those sonic screams. Crashing to the ground with as much grace as possible, the kenjutsu expert regained her feet with a role and stumbled.

Her body couldn't seem to balance itself properly, of course that had to be caused by the fact that she had the distinct impression that the world kept spinning. The name of the problem flashed through her mind, vertigo, and she almost smacked her forehead for making such an amateurish mistake. Of course the Oto nin could emit high-pitched screams powerful enough to damage the inner ear.

Reaching up, hand glowing greenish-blue; she attempted to heal one of her damaged ears. It wouldn't remove the problem, but at least it would lessen the symptoms. She didn't have long of course, since Keikoku managed to get free of the Ishi Nanka no Jutsu prompting Ino to dodge drunkenly to avoid the shrieks that shattered the street and parts of buildings.

Hitting the ground hard in a sloppy shoulder roll, Ino swore trying to think of some way to end this. The longer this went the worse her odds, but with the partial vertigo her techniques were hampered. Plus, the girl could deflect any attack Ino launched, this proved to be a more complicated fight than Ino preferred.

If she could just use an attack the other girl couldn't see coming, like with her special version of the Kanashibari no Jutsu. That would target the girl's heart and lungs, ensuring a very painful death, but for that the world would have to stop swaying. Well she could always attempt the untried kenjutsu attack she'd created to use against Kisame, but it could simply not work.

A series of explosions, small ones that Ino knew belonged to exploding kunai, drifted from the direction of the earlier ones disrupting her thoughts. The kenjutsu user didn't have time to think, she needed to end this and end it now. The blond began forming a series of rapid one-handed seals before filling the area with a thick mist as she darted to the left, keeping an eye on her opponent who seemed baffled.

"That little screaming trick is neat," Ino called as the Kirigakure no Jutsu grew thicker "but I've got one too."

"What, this mist?" Keikoku asked, before taking a deep breath and unleashing her scream, stirring the mist but doing little else thanks to Ino doubling her chakra usage. At this point it would take someone with an affinity for wind jutsu on the same level as Naruto to break it apart.

"No." Ino said, charging toward the Oto kunoichi, while sending out multiple Sakuran no Jutsu to keep her off balance "I call it 'Hiken no Ino: Byakko'."

Jumping high, the mist clearing without warning, and Keikoku had no chance. Ino descended like a rock, her sword completing a downward slash while a bolt of chakra exploded from the blade. Keikoku sensed it and dodged left as she turned, right as the chakra bolt split into three large blades, all three of which went in opposite directions and left large gouges in the ground.

Ino landed with a stumble, and turning her gaze away from the bloody chunks that remained of her enemy, used her medical jutsu to heal her other ear. The vertigo solved, she sheathed her sword and hurried toward the direction of the fight Hanabi seemed caught up in.

* * *

Naruto grumbled as he vaulted over the fence, flipped and landed silently on the other side. Unsurprisingly the girl stood just ahead, staring at him expectantly. Huffing, the blond started walking toward her, prompting her to turn and lead the way in silence, until they reached a moderately sized office building.

Here she stopped and turned to stare at him.

"In there, huh?" Naruto asked warily, before giving her a look "I'm going to blow this damn thing up, that cool?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"No, didn't think so..." Naruto muttered before creating several dozen Kage Bunshin, each of whom hurried off to carry out his silent order of covering the building with as many blast notes as possible. Ignoring the girl he started forward, pausing as he saw the glowing seal, a moments study revealed why exactly it happened to be glowing so brightly.

This sort of seal, it locked things inside, or at least that was the goal. Most likely the girl, ghost or whatever, set it off the instant she moved outside. Of course, the other problem was that it also meant he couldn't go in until he undid the seal and while he was good at them, this thing seemed like something Jiraiya would use.

Crossing his arms, ignoring the girl moving closer, he thought long and hard about how to beat the system. This door would be the most direct access to whatever the girl wanted him to do, and he wanted to get this over with quick. For some reason, thinking of her reminded him of how the Kyūbi attracted the freaky stuff like a magnet, which prompted him to think about magnets pushing each other apart.

"Oh that's good," Naruto said a manic grin forming as he began fishing in his hip pouch for the sealing ink and brush. He had no hope of undoing the seal, but he could follow the pattern laid out in front of him, invert it so that the two forces pushed against each other violently. Deft, confident strokes began following the pre-determined path and then finished he molded the chakra and applied it.

At first, nothing happened and then with an ear-splitting 'crack' the door, along with the seal, exploded backward in a spray of splinters. Pocketing his materials, Naruto entered the building, then paused turning to stare at the girl. She entered slowly, and paused, eyes taking on a fiercer look.

_"Down." _

Naruto raised an eyebrow, then ducked as she blurred past and disappeared through a door. Turning he sighed, creating Kage Bunshin to sweep the upper floors, and then dutifully followed the 'girl' wondering what sort of shit he was about to step into. The hallway seemed typical of an office building, stark and impersonal, but clean and well lit completely at odds with what had to be going on beneath it.

Reaching the door he opened it, the click echoing, then started down the stairs. Probably led down to an archive or something, what happened next proved to be entirely his fault. He'd let his guard down, and the first enemy blind-sided him as he entered the dim basement of the building, sending him crashing into a row of file cabinets.

He recovered quick enough, a sidekick sending the enemy crashing to the ground, even as another charged toward him. Dodging a punch he pivoted around and jabbed a kunai between the man's shoulder blades. Another came charging and he moved back several times, then as he overreached, Naruto landed a kick to the ribs followed by another to the temple.

Landing he paused, watching the group recover and then felt his stomach sink noticing the ice blue eyes. He'd been too busy trying to kill them, to notice that or the familiar way they had moved. His problems only compounded as more shinin made themselves known as they came charging out of a room toward the far corner of the basement.

The fight started all over again, six to one, their speed and the confined space making it difficult for the blond. Punch, kick, flying tackle, they weren't letting up and he had very little time to think of a counter. Landing from his latest dodge he smirked, noticing that two were lined up perfectly with one behind the other as they moved toward him.

Chakra molded almost instantly, and he lashed his hand forward, a spear of wind slicing right through both of their heads. Without pause he retrieved one of his trench knives and molding his wind chakra, rolled forward extending the blade of wind up and out to sever its neck. Regaining his feet he located the fourth one and caught it with a spinning sidekick, while his extended blade of wind stopped the fifth, before a backswing took care of the now recovered fourth.

The sixth and last one registered the damage belatedly, and as expected, started to retreat, but a wind coated kunai from Naruto dropped it like a sack of potatoes. Breathing heavy, the blond turned on his heel and marched to the far door, kicking it open without preamble. Whatever he expected, it wasn't what he found since the room looked like a surgical room within Konoha Hospital.

The only things that made it different were the body parts in jars, the dead teenager on the table and the plain looking doctor who seemed intent on whatever cut he had going on. Oh yeah, Hanabi and Ino were getting bitch slapped for this, the only thing they could have done to make it more difficult would have been to say 'what's the worst that could happen?'.

"Ok, put the knife down and step away from the body." Naruto said, startling the doctor.

"So you got past the guards?"

"...The Shinin, yeah, now do us both a favor and just stop what you're doing." Naruto responded, preparing to use the Fūton: Atsugai, there was no way he would let this get as far as it did in the movies.

"Of course," he said with a smug grin putting the pen -not a knife- aside and stepped back, hand brushing the space he had just been working on. "Of course I think you might be interested to know that you're too-"

"Fūton: Atsugai!" Naruto shouted, interrupting the speech, while forming the needed hand seals. Normally the technique wasn't used within such a confined space but it would be the most effective. A build up of air pressure, as if something was drawing the air out of the room and then it came crashing back down with a devastating result.

Normally, the heaviest damage found its home in the center of the blast: crushed or shattered, depending on the object. It came from the fact that the force weakened as it spread out, but in a room with only one exit, which happened to be the source of the attack? The damage left nothing behind but rubble and debris; of course it had also knocked Naruto off his feet and across the room.

Getting up, grumbling he stared at the room and dusted his jacket off. Well that wasn't so bad, got off kind of light really and turning he started to leave when he heard the sound of something shifting. Pausing he closed his eyes, nearly smacking his forehead, of course he'd brought it on himself and turning back he found what he expected.

The dead teenager crawling out of the rubble, then stood, swaying in a fashion that hinted at lack of muscle control. Whatever hopes that the girl would just be a simple shinin went out the window as she disappeared with an unbelievable burst of speed. Eyes widening he just managed to register the movement of her reappearing and dodged, but she didn't let up and her speed seemed constant.

Blood pounded in Naruto's ears as he dodged and weaved, trying to figure out how the hell she could move so fast. Batting aside a series of wild punches, Naruto countered with a kick which the girl managed to dodge before delivering a punch to his stomach. The blow forced Naruto backward, but he recovered, flipping to the side as she came charging head on.

Kunai sailed harmlessly through the Shinin's previous location; she reappeared first on the right then the left, nearly catching Naruto with a swipe of her nails at his face. Naruto though, had much better reflex's and grabbing her arm pivoted throwing her aside so she crashed into a row of filing cabinets. Several kunai followed, but the Shinin shrugged them off and then charged forward with that unbelievable speed again.

"Damn she's fast," Naruto muttered, wondering where she could have gotten such speed. Dodging another charge, the blond decided to worry about that later, right now he needed to kill this Shinin and check on the others. The Shinin however, seemed to have other ideas and managed to connect a punch with Naruto's nose before the shinobi backhanded her away. Angry he followed up with several kunai, which tore gouges out of the neck of the Shinin as he recovered.

Showing no signs of realizing the damage it charged forward.

Naruto countered with his own Shunshin and blurred past the creature, hand grabbing a fist full of hair and yanking. The result filled the basement with a wet ripping sound as body and head separated, leaving Naruto holding the head of the Shinin by the hair.

Dropping the head he cracked his neck, watching as the Yūrei from earlier seemed to appear from the shadows. There were more purples flames this time and the chill once more filled the air. Her attention darted from the body, then to him, to the head and then back, the chill growing colder.

"Before you start," Naruto said, letting enough Kyūbi chakra into his system to alter his eyes "keep in mind you are **not** the baddest thing in this room."

The Yūrei hesitated, before fading back from view, the chill leaving with her.

"Rest in peace." Naruto muttered, forcing the tainted chakra down before he started back up the stairs.  


* * *

  
Hanabi woke from the repetitive motion, walking instead of leaping, the gait distinctive due to the slight bounce. If she bothered to open her eyes she'd most likely see spiky blond hair, from the feel of it he had her on his back. Her body soon swooped in to report the dulled throb coursing through her muscles; she'd really pushed it to the edge.

"You can't keep encouraging her." a voice, Ino, said in a soft tone obviously attempting not to wake her up.

"Ino-chan, its not-" Naruto started to counter before Ino cut him off.

"Naruto-kun, she's going to get herself killed if she keeps this up." Ino paused, her tone growing firm "She needs to be running from Jōnin, not trying to bring them down."

"Why not? We did it."

"It's not the same and you know it! She lucked out that I could heal her this time." Ino hissed darkly. "Besides when we did it, we did it in pairs, or as a team, and yeah sometimes you did it alone, but she doesn't have your luck."

"I didn't die and neither will Hanabi-chan." Naruto shot back "and I've told you she's not your responsibility."

"Her luck is going to run out eventually. Encouraging her is irresponsible and reckless!"

"Ino-chan, you don't understand." Naruto said, and Hanabi felt the deep breath he took "Hanabi and me, we're the same. We can't back off, we can never back off, because there are more important things on the line than our lives."

"Yeah, well, not to me." Ino said softly then fell silent.

Hanabi remained perfectly still, taking some comfort in the warmth of her sensei and his words. He'd spoken up and he'd said they were the same, he'd defended her actions. That meant a lot to her, filled her heart and buoyed her feelings of despair at having been pushed so far.

"She's moved to point." Naruto said, obviously aware of Hanabi being awake.

"Sensei," Hanabi managed thickly, her throat tight, whether from pain or fear she wasn't sure. "Are you mad?"

"Sorta." Naruto said with an odd tone "but I'm also very proud of you."

"I'm sorry about disobeying your order but I had to know." Hanabi offered, arms tightening around his neck.

"I know." Naruto agreed softly "its part of what makes you a real ninja."

"Sensei?"

"A ninja is someone that willingly risks their life for something important and survived a brush with death." Naruto said, then pausing continued with a slightly chiding tone but with an undercurrent of worry "just be careful, ok? I don't want you to die."

"But you just said-"

"I've promised to protect everyone with my life," Naruto said turning his head to give her an awkward stare "that includes my family."

Hanabi nodded faintly but said nothing, and Naruto seemed content to leave her with the silence. She thought long and hard about what he'd told her taking it to heart. It made Hanabi feel different, knowing that he considered her a real ninja and that he didn't want her to die.

'I've promised to protect everyone with my life. That includes my family.'

Hanabi promised to get better, stronger, whatever it took. She would not disappoint Naruto, she would be careful and she would protect him. Hanabi would never allow anything to hurt him, not if she could help it. She would protect him, with everything she had.

Her family.

A tiny smile forming, she drifted back to sleep.

* * *

AN:

I felt I should offer a brief note about why Saskue and Sakura used the names 'Tenmou' and 'Tensai'. Within the Altered History/Shinobi War universe, every Uchiha has two names; the one used in public and one that is used privately between husband and wife. Other cultures have used a similar concept involving 'public names', which everyone knew, and 'true names', which only family or close friends knew.

Just thought I would explain that.

Also of note:  
Keikoku - prostitute (also can mean beauty; siren; courtesan). Sound (Oto) ninja strike me as the type that would pick or make up their own names considering they're former missing-ninja.  
Hiken no Ino: Byakko - Hidden Sword of Ino: White Tiger (Byakko is the Japanese name given to one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations.)

Sorry for the delay, but I actually missplaced this chapter in my transfeering of HDD's. So I had about four copies of the same chapter in different places and I was trying to find the right one to upload.


	25. Chapter 23: Black Hole Sun

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 23:_  
-Black Hole Sun-  
_By Geor-sama

* * *

Hyūga Hinata had a tendency to eat alone, especially lately after her breakup with Choji. Tenten had occasionally shared a meal with her, before taking over the Military Police, but things were different now. Moreover, there was a pain in Tenten's posture whenever she spied Hinata and the Hyūga did not wish to cause pain in a friend.

Therefore, Hinata ate alone, always in the same restaurant and corner, where she could watch others while going unnoticed. Over the years, Hinata had accepted that she preferred obscurity since it allowed her to work best. Thanks to her unnoticed nature, she regularly noticed things that others would miss, for example Kurenai and Kiba sitting alone together on the other side of the restaurant.

They weren't talking, there was even an air of tension, but Hinata understood. Others had forgotten, well save for Ino but Hinata didn't care too much if the other girl remembered or not, that today marked the day Sasuke and Sakura had abandoned the village. Leaving behind Kurenai and Kiba, leaving behind other dear friends and breaking the trust of a whole village.

It was so sad, Hinata wanted to get up and say something but she remained where she was at, watching the two. She raised an eyebrow as Kiba hesitantly put a hand on Kurenai's hand, murmured something and the way Kurenai had looked away. Odd, Kurenai had reacted as if Kiba had told her something she didn't want to acknowledge, but the older woman didn't pull her hand away.

The two sat there for a few more minutes before Kurenai muttered something and getting up hurried out of the shop. Kiba sat there, looking dejected, then as if sensing her attention looked around sharply. The look on his face, even from across the room, made Hinata flinch.

He rose quickly and left with a dark scowl, but Hinata knew what had happened.

"Hey ya, Hinata!" Naruto's voice suddenly said and the Hyūga jerked in surprise, nearly knocking over her food and tea. The young man was grinning at her as he took a seat at her table and tossed a small notebook before him "Don't mind if I sit with you right?"

"A-anou, no," Hinata managed, startled and trying to calm her racing heart. Naruto chuckled while placing an order with a surprised and flustered looking waitress. Recovered Hinata smiled faintly, watching him, thrilling at the very sight of him.

"So, what'cha been up to?" Naruto asked, turning back to face her even while twirling an odd pin around in his fingers.

"Merely, uhm, watching." Hinata said, almost wincing at how stupid it sounded.

"Ah, Hanabi does that too." Naruto said nodding sagely while opening the notebook beginning to write something "Guess it's just a Hyūga thing."

"I suppose. Speaking of my, uh, sister is she..." Hinata paused, seeing the way he was now looking at her "ok?"

"She's fine." Naruto said, raising an eyebrow "But didn't you guys disown her? I mean, sealed her bloodline and all that..."

"W-well, it is true that the Clan did disown her but, that does not change anything, to me she is still _**my**_ sister." Hinata said, a tad defensive and amazed at being so forceful. She and Naruto had only recently started talking, shortly after he thanked her for the card and for Hinata it was like talking to Amaterasu, the patron goddess of the Hyūga Clan.

She couldn't help it; he had been her inspiration and personal hero for so long it would never change.

"Wow," Naruto said after a moment of just staring at her, "you really are sisters."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-wait, what?"

"Well that tone of voice just now," Naruto said, almost laughing "you know when you told me 'she is still _**my**_ sister', that's the same tone Tsuru-chan uses sometimes."

"It is?" Hinata managed, staring at him in surprise and relieved that he wasn't about to get upset with her.

"Yup!" Naruto beamed, wagging a finger at her "Now I know where she got her mean streak, because I knew it couldn't be from me."

"M-mean, I am _**not**_ mean!" Hinata protested, and then at his laughter realized she had used the same tone again and had the grace to blush. "Y-you tease me too much Naruto-kun."

"Hmm," Naruto said thoughtfully, before a slightly perverted gleam appeared in his eyes "most girls like being teased."

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata squeaked, getting his meaning and turning a bright red. This in turn caused Naruto to break into a new fit of laughter, before calming down and accepting his food from a confused waitress. Not looking at him, Hinata tried to force the heat from her cheeks and then feeling it somewhat safer spoke carefully to change the subject.

"Uhm, earlier, I asked about Hanabi..."

"Like I said, she's fine." Naruto responded, not looking up from whatever he was working on in his notebook "right now Hanabi is sparring me and trying out a few water jutsu that I taught her."

"But you're here and you taught her...water jutsu?" Hinata asked interest piqued. While for Clan reasons she could not directly involve herself with her sister, Hinata wanted to monitor the girl. In addition, Hinata liked talking with Naruto since he seemed to leave her feeling more confident and smiling.

"Yeah, I'm trying out something called Joukyuu Kage Bunshin, so I figured who better than Hanabi?" Naruto said, pausing from his work to take a drink and grin at her "Plus, she needed to work on her water jutsu. Her element being water an' all makes it easy to learn but the only way to have confidence in them is to try 'em out in fights."

"Which ones, uhm, did you teach her?"

"Eh? Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu, Mizu no Muchi, and Mizurappa, she's having a little trouble with the last two but she created Mizu no Yaiba on her own." Naruto paused, raising an eyebrow "one thing I don't understand though is her chakra. No matter how I try, it won't increase that much."

"Well, uhm, that's normal." Hinata said, blinking "its Hyūga genetics. While we have the best chakra control within Konoha, our chakra capacity is limited. Neji-nissan actually had an abnormal amount of chakra for a Hyūga and even mine is considered larger than typically expected."

"You're kidding right?"

"It is a tradeoff we've made and grown used to." Hinata paused, staring at him thoughtfully "Hanabi should, of course, be able to make up for her lack of chakra by using her control to make her chakra stretch further."

"Yeesh, that explains a lot." Naruto murmured before grinning "Oh well, I can still torture her with those chakra building exercises."

"I am sure Hanabi will appreciate that." Hinata managed with a hint of sarcasm, which made Naruto grin, and Hinata couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

_Somewhere in Oto no Kuni..._

There was a saying, at least among Iwa, that you wouldn't know the reaper was there until you were dead. Oto should have known this, or at least have been aware of it, but they hadn't. So much the better for Anko, who slipped into yet another small town turned Oto outpost, scouting out the major troop movements and neutralizing any immediate dangers.

This mission had taken her miles behind enemy lines; to be accurate she had went past mission parameters and was now firmly in Oto no Kuni. Close to Otogakure if she remembered the estimated map from Ino's report correctly, but it wasn't revenge that brought her here. It had been a group of Oto Jōnin and Generals all moving together and with a great deal of urgency.

Slinking along a roof, Anko made a mental map. The village was isolated in the gulley leading to a valley. Coming to a stop she spied a spearman beneath her, then moved back to summon a snake, which coiled around her arm familiarly. Lifting it, she spoke in a whisper, telling the coiled serpent what she needed and then dropped it on the poor sap.

It was over before the man knew it, though it did catch his partner's attention, but a simple sleep genjutsu rendered him harmless. Dropping to the ground Anko scooped up her summoned helper and kissed it fondly on the head. Allowing it to curl around her arm, she applied the Meisai Gakure before slipping to the mouth of the alley and then left, heading for a small house under heavy guard.

It wasn't the target though; her target was a larger house across from it, which had no guards at all. Anko passed through the patrol around the small house without effort and circled around the building. Crouching down, Anko rested her palm on the ground, allowing the snake to uncoil and slither free. "I need you to tell me what's in that house over there," Anko whispered softly to the snake nodding at the building in question.

"Asss you wisssh." the snake hissed and slithered off, leaving Anko to wait.

Anko leaned back, resting against the side of the house, considering the possibilities of what it would discover. Orochimaru could have any of a thousand different things brewing, so there was no telling. If it was Shinin, did Anko have anything that could conceivably take out the whole village? Anko didn't think so, but she would burn that bridge when she came to it.

Frowning she wondered about this situation and how she would get word back to her forces about this place along with its secret, whatever that was.

* * *

_Konoha..._

Naruto let his head thump back against the wall, gaze focused upward. This was what he got for being early, forced to wait while the others took their sweet time. Uzumaki Naruto did not like waiting; it was one of his faults. Sadly, he couldn't shake this fault, though he could be patient when needed, but his natural instinct was to be doing _something_.

Unfortunately, another of his faults was that he had a habit of being early for appointments, which meant he spent more time than he would like waiting around.

Crossing his arms, Naruto snorted in annoyance. He almost suspected that Nisei and Hanabi were conspiring together to make him wait, he might have even suspected Ino as well, but he knew she had a good excuse. Double-checking and submitting out her application for promotion to Jōnin, he could give her some leeway where that was involved.

It did irk Naruto a little. Oh, Ino had earned it Naruto wouldn't deny that, his problem lay in that it made him feel that he hadn't accomplished anything. He knew better of course, because he had accomplished a lot but still…

Frustration spiking, Naruto decided to try to distract himself. Fishing out the notebook he used for his sealing ideas, he sat down resuming his work on his latest seal. It was a variation on the concept of summoning weapons, since if a ninja wanted to seal a weapon for later they needed to carry a scroll.

Naruto felt that this defeated the purpose of sealing weapons away for later use, so instead he was thinking about how to fix that. He had been working on this for a while; the best alternative anyone came up with was the hip pouch Jiraiya had modified for Naruto. It could carry far more than a backpack, but it still wasn't quite what Naruto had in mind.

That was where his recent study of the Harishin no Jutsu came into play. Naruto thought he saw a way to apply it to his idea; the only flaw was that while he got the theory behind it, the practical application escaped him. The biggest problem with seals was the equivalent exchange required.

Not that he would let that stop him, Naruto had struck upon the rather ingenious idea of modifying a preexisting seal to match what he wanted. Not that it made things much easier, since he was mainly guessing on how to do this, and combining two seals without proper knowledge of how they worked had nasty results. But he thought he had it all worked out.

"That looks complicated."

"It is," Naruto said, not looking up or showing a reaction to Hanabi's sudden appearance, merely noting that her stealth had gotten much better. "Do you have a spare scroll?"

"I believe so," Hanabi said, rummaging through her pack before offering it "I was going to try the Charka Fūin that you showed me tonight when we camped."

"I'm not sure you're ready for that just yet." Naruto said spreading the scroll out over the floor and then reached into his pouch, retrieving his pen and ink "If you get it wrong, it'll absorb your chakra and your chakra capacity isn't that big."

"It's larger than when we began training," Hanabi protested, sitting down and watching him work "besides you would be there. If the seal did go wrong you'd stop it."

"As awesome as I am," Naruto said, looking up to flash a grin "accidents do happen Tsuru-chan. So let's just give it time ok?"

"Fine," Hanabi said, puffing her cheeks out to blow a raspberry "so what is this seal suppose to do?"

"Summon a weapon without need of carrying a scroll around."

"Do you think that can be done?"

"Well, it's complicated. Kuchiyose no Jutsu can vary greatly, but the normal weapon summoning requires carrying a scroll in which we've sealed the weapon."

"I see." Hanabi said pointing at the large circle careful not to touch the ink "So what is that?"

"That is called a 'transmutation' circle," Naruto said pausing to point at the other items surrounding it "and these symbols here show the various elements that are needed to balance the seal. This one here lists what item I'm sealing in here, while these are 'location' and 'equivalent exchange'."

"It appears like the weapon sealing you've shown to me before."

"Of course there are similarities, but this will work." Naruto said and then finished, produced his trench knifes sealing them into the scroll. "Now, can you make a Kage Bunshin please?"

"Yes." Hanabi said, doing as asked.

Naruto sealed the scroll shut and then handed it over to the standing Hanabi. "Put that in my house for me."

With a curt nod, the Hanabi clone hurried off, leaving Naruto to pack up. Finished he started to test the seal when he heard Ino's faint voice and turned in time to see the girl come through the doorway. Ino grinned at him, which left Naruto a little breathless but he was used to that.

"Hiya Ino-chan!" Naruto called, waving at the girl.

"Naruto. Hanabi-chan," Ino called back, turning to talk to Nisei "told you they would beat us."

"I've told you that hurrying only hurts you in the long run," Nisei said, but Ino had already moved forward to talk with Naruto.

"So, you hear back from that masked perv yet?" Naruto asked, anxious to know if she made it or not to Jōnin.

"I only just applied Naruto. It's going to take awhile." Ino said with a roll of her eyes, before shifting her weight nervously "also, about dinner…"

"S'ok, we'll get that dinner in sooner or later." Naruto said casually, suppressing the urge to smack Hanabi upside the head. Feeling a pair of eyes on him, Naruto glanced at Hanabi only to find her smirking at the two of them. "What are you smirking about?"

"Nothing," Hanabi said quickly, too quickly. Before Naruto could pursue it further, Nisei interrupted pointing out that they needed to see about their mission. Hanabi nodded and hurried past Naruto and into the mission hall, Nisei behind her, leaving Naruto and Ino alone for a moment.

"Uh, listen," Ino said nervously, glancing at Naruto. "After this mission, we need to talk."

"Yea." Naruto agreed and then sharing a look, they hurried into the hall. Assuming a spot next to Hanabi, Naruto's stomach rolled as he thought about what that could mean. He knew what he wanted that 'talk' to mean, even if he would have to tell her about the Kyūbi.

"Team Nisei," the Chūnin said looking up at them and then fishing through a stack of scrolls selected one "you four are assigned a B-rank retrieval mission."

"Retrieval?" Hanabi asked, arching an eyebrow "is it to a foreign location or has someone important been kidnapped?"

"Neither. The B-rank is a mere formality. Tsunade-sama delocalized our important medical research, creating two main medical research labs: Haijin to the west near the border of First Region and Zokusei to the south just between Tanzaku Gai and Konoha."

"Why?" Naruto asked, confused.

"It was done in an effort to speed up research and ensure that if one lab was compromised, the other would remain. Every four months we send out carefully selected teams to collect the reports and any samples they've created. One team for Haijin and one for Zokusei."

"So have you already sent a team out?" Ino asked, sounding as bored as they all felt.

"Of course." the Chūnin said, shrugging "So that's your briefing. A map is in the scroll; make sure you destroy the map after you've memorized it. Needless to say you are under orders not to reveal the location to anyone; they're a tightly guarded secret after all."

"Of course," Naruto said sarcastically taking the scroll before pocketing it. Not as exciting and action packed as he would have preferred, but B-rank was B-Rank and it'd help him hurry toward his own rank of Jōnin.

"Cheer up Naruto," Ino offered as they turned to walk out of the mission hall "maybe you'll get to kill a thief."

"Thanks Ino-chan! You always know what to say to cheer me up." Naruto beamed as the other two sighed.

* * *

_Yasei no Kuniguni aka 'The Wild Countries'..._

Yasei no Kuniguni was the official name in the Shinobi/Daimyo countries for four countries located on the southwestern most tip of the continent. These four countries were bordered on the North by the former countries of Tsume no Kuni and Numa no Kuni and to the south by the vast ocean. Each country of course, had their own names, but nobody cared enough to list them.

Yasei no Kuniguni was merely the most apt title for those four; laws and morals varied from each village, often times even day to day in a single village. Villages, at times, were capricious in loyalty and often turned on allies or even their own people without warning or reason. Here, the only absolute, unchanging law was that the weak were food for the strong.

Hence the majority of the world avoided the Yasei no Kuniguni completely, but for Hoshigaki Kisame it was his third visit and last, at least if he had anything to say about it. The first had been during his time as part of the Seven Swordsmen of Kiri, the second shortly after he had defected since this place was perfect for ditching pursuers. The current, and third, trip came about because his target for Akatsuki had fled here.

More accurately, the Yonbi Jinchūriki had felt to the central most country of the Yasei no Kuniguni called Hanguo. The path after that had become convoluted and bothersome, until recently, when the bastard had decided to kill everything that seemed threatening. After that, it was a mere matter of following the wake of death and destruction.

It ultimately led Kisame high along a craggy and uncertain ledge, into the mountains. Mountains that nobody dared to trespass for fear of some dark god, yet they were some of the most majestic in the world. Kisame though didn't care, all that mattered was the fact that the Yonbi had went into them and he would not stop until he had the damn thing captured.

Thankfully, something or other had caught the attention of his partner Itachi so Kisame was alone and able to curse and grumble to his heart's content. Itachi, while a good partner, could be both repressive and unnerving without effort and it left Kisame to treasure the time alone. Reaching a ridge, he unsheathed his massive sword Samehada and twirled his loyal companion before resting it over his shoulder.

With a sigh of annoyance he started down the slope, heading for the vine covered ruins of a massive and oddly designed temple. Here and there, as he walked, skeletons protruded from the ground and more than a few bodies that were nowhere near decomposing. Coming to a stop, the infamous Kiri ninja stared up at the ruined temple that spoke of a culture long lost and no doubt best left forgotten.

Kisame considered it for several long minutes before shaking his head; it looked vaguely like part of a handful of temples found throughout the area and one in Ame. Starting up the steps, he unsnapped his billowing Akatsuki cloak; it would be hard enough to fight using Samehada in such a confined space so there was no need to obstruct his movements pointlessly. Stepping through the crumbling main entrance, Kisame paused just inside the doorway, scanning the large chamber.

Moving carefully he approached the far wall, then looked up at the shattered roof, before sweeping his gaze over the hall once more. Grasping the special wrap binding Samehada, Kisame yanked expertly unwinding it without effort and then pocketed the white gauze. Approaching a statue in the center of the hall, Kisame felt revulsion sweep through him: It resembled some sort of caricature of octopus, dragon and human while kneeling in a semi-circle around it were several life-like statues of priests in silent prayer.

"Bah, I don't have time for this creepy shit." Kisame muttered, spitting at the base of the statue before turning to address the dark hall "look, just get your old ass out here. There's no telling how long Itachi-san is gonna be busy and I'd rather not have him show up and ruin my fun."

A moment of silence passed and frustrated Kisame swung his sword around, planting it tip first on the uneven temple floor. Looking around, he used his tongue to fiddling with a loose tooth, while considering which of the most likely ambush spots to attack. Spotting a likely location, he grinned hefting his sword to rest it on his shoulder.

"Fine, if you're not going to come to me I'm coming to yo-"

A tremor ran through the ground and Kisame managed to dodge just as the ground cracked, spewing a fountain of lava from where he had been standing. Skidding to a halt, he swore, dodging and leaping as more and more fountains of lava formed around him. Landing with a stumble, Kisame tossed Samehada up, hands forming a seal before expelling a ball of water dousing the lava fountains with a 'Suiton: Taihodan'.

Snatching Samehada as it came back down; he glared at the darkness wondering how Zetsu could miss the damn fact that this Jinchūriki could use lava. Catching a glimpse of the red-haired Jinchūriki, Kisame shot forward, coming within inches of severing the Jinchūriki's arm. The host dodged at the last second, hands slapping together causing the ground to undulate before busting open, oozing magma.

Kisame backpedaled from the oozing mass, watching as it melted rock and statue alike. Flipping Samehada up, he brought his own hands together, only to have a pair of serpents made of magma blast toward him. Eyes widening he changed the hand motion at the last second, unleashing two rapid 'Suiton: Mizurappa' to counter the magma serpents.

No sooner had he removed that threat than he realized how close the magma flood had gotten, forcing him to retreat quickly. It wasn't until he was safe that he realized that Samehada was inches from the magma surface, screaming in frustration Kisame charged forward and jumped catching the hilt in mid-air. With a flip, his momentum carried him to a far wall and one rebound later had Kisame perched atop of the ugly statue.

Lodging Samehada between the tentacles on the things face, Kisame brought his hands together before spewing a torrent of water, flooding the room with a 'Suiton: Bakusui Shōha'. The hiss from the magma and water with the heated steam filled the air, obscuring details. Retrieving Samehada from its resting place, Kisame balanced the massive sword on his shoulder. "That the best ya got?"

A series of cracking sounds followed that, prompting Kisame to scan the obscured floor below. Shadows were moving rapidly up, the steam spiraling as they passed. When the first one emerged and sped at him, Kisame ducked out of instinct, unsure of what to make of the oblong ball of magma.

Several more followed and growling, Samehada slashed out batting the magma balls aside, until the sword vibrated in protest. Grunting in acknowledgment, Kisame settled for ducking and dodging, until one forced him to bat it aside with his own hand. That was a bad idea, Kisame decided after screaming and nearly toppling from his perch.

Ducking another of these magma bombs, which promptly _exploded_ on the wall behind him, he inspected his charred hand grimacing. He wasn't sure if he could even use anymore Ninjutsu now, he could make a fist but that didn't guarantee his fingers were up to the exact movements required. As another of those damn magma bombs exploded, pelting his back with searing gravel, Kisame decided that he would have to risk it.

Lodging Samehada once more, Kisame flashed through the eighteen hand seals for the 'Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu' before unleashing a column of water that crashed down into the steam below, seeking out his enemy. Another Ninjutsu followed, the 'Suiton: Gobo Shokusame', turning the flood of water into a column launching the enemy into the air: grinning Kisame hefted his sword while five water sharks attacked the airborne enemy.

Twirling the massive sword, his attention never wavered from the attack, not when a shark devoured the Jinchūriki and then imploded, or when the others imploded on impact, sending the Jinchūriki crashing back down to the steam-obscured water. With a cry of vengeance, Kisame leapt down, sword whistling through the air, entering the veil of steam. His feet touched the heated water and he sprang back and into the air, batting away a boiling tail of black and orange chakra.

Samehada vibrated, obligingly devoured a large portion of the chakra found in the attack, and Kisame landed with a skid eying the older man now enshrouded with the chakra of his demon.

Another tail slashed out and Kisame blocked, Samehada slashed through the tail draining its chakra before Kisame jerked the sword aside, creating a shower of tiny chakra dots. He watched the enemy warily; the chakra shroud was taking a more distinct shape, that of a hawk-like creature.

No question about it, the old man was definitely using the Bijū's power, not that Kisame felt unduly thrilled at that realization. Still, now there was no threat of the Jinchūriki putting up much more of a fight. Jinchūriki's bodies could only maintain their Bijū's power for so long before they gave out. The younger ones could maintain a moderate power for long periods but the older ones, like this Yonbi host, could only manage an hour at a time.

Of course, that was in their peak condition and this fool had been using the power of the Yonbi almost continuously for months, denying his body any chance of recovery. Unforunately while that meant the fight would end with the next attack, it would prove the most dangerous. Both for Kisame and for the Jinchūriki, whose body could give out and release the damn Bijū, which would make things even more complicated.

"I'm...not...going...back." the Jinchūriki said, voice strained "I'm free now."

"I've been hunting you since before you fled Iwa." Kisame retorted "doesn't that tell you I'm _not_ an Iwa ANBU?"

"You're still...not...taking...me!" the old man roared, two of the four tails forming flaming wings, which launched him toward Kisame with unbelievable speed. The hawk-like shroud now solidified into being, its beak opening to emit a fiery blast forcing Kisame to dodge leaving the attack to blast out the wall of the temple.

A second later, the talons of the hawk-creature swiped out viciously, scoring a blow on Kisame's back. Coming around with a cry of pain, he lashed out deflecting the now solidified chakra of the Bijū. Samehada absorbed the ambient chakra of the talons and then of another fiery blast, even as Kisame dodged that one as well.

His back was throbbing and burning, no doubt due to the vile nature of the Bijū's chakra. It wasn't enough to kill him, but Kisame could feel the pain lancing through him with every move he made. On the brighter side, the chakra seemed to be getting flimsier now, he could actually see through it with every block.

Blocking another vicious swipe of talons, Kisame twirled the large blade around before driving it into the heated water, bracing against it. The impact of a lunching hand sent blade and user skidding back, but Kisame gritted his teeth, focusing his chakra into the blade and thus absorbing even more of the enemy's.

Samehada began to burn and tremble from the Bijū chakra it was absorbing, it protested loudly in Kisame's mind. Just a little more was all he needed, all he asked of his ever faithful companion, just a little more and this would all be over. Suddenly the force against the blade went slack and Kisame grinned twirling it up before charging at the now visible man in the center of flickering chakra.

A few slashes here and there, absorbing more of the flickering chakra, forced the chakra to fade completely. A moment later the old man sagged, like a puppet with its strings cut, as Kisame's fist connected with his stomach. Holding the man upright with his fist, he flipped Samehada around and aimed it high, allowing his partner to unleash the excess chakra in a relatively safe burst of power.

Shadows and light danced for several long minutes, Kisame's arm trembling as he struggled to maintain the posture to safely vent the chakra. After what seemed like forever, he finally lowered his arm whistling at the massive hole overhead before tossing Samehada into the air one last time. Using his now free hand, Kisame found and applied a Ma Tobatsu O-fuda before catching the descending blade with a sigh.

Hefting the man over his shoulder, Kisame began walking toward the entrance fumbling for Samehada's wrap. Sidling through the doorway, he mumbled his annoyance as he rewrapped his partner. After this, the real problem would be getting back down the mountain before Itachi turned up, Kisame did not want even the tiniest hint of being weaker to show. Finishing his rewrap of Samehada, Kisame searched futilely for his cloak and then kicked the skull off a skeleton.

Figures he would lose the damn thing, stupid cloaks and stupid Akatsuki. Tilting his head back, Kisame took some comfort in the fact that at least nothing else could happen to annoy him.

The crack of thunder that followed and the downpour proved him wrong.

"Oh come on!"

* * *

_Hi no Kuni..._

"Kiba, can you pick up any scents?" Kurenai asked, uneasy with the situation. Zokusei was located in an isolated section of Hi no Kuni exactly halfway between Tanzaku Gai and Konoha, constantly under ANBU guard. However, they had yet to encounter said ANBU guard, despite being three hundred feet out from it's perimeter.

Skills in decline or not, she was a Jōnin and her instincts told her that things were not how they were supposed to be.

"Still nothing but the normal scents." Kiba said and Akamaru barked, which Kurenai too to mean it was the same for him. This was like rushing blindly into the maws of a dragon, but those two would have picked up something if things were amiss. Kiba was a capable young man, well trained as both ninja and tracker, Akamaru despite his size was equally as skilled in tracking.

Together they would have found something, so could she just be worrying over nothing? She wanted to believe that, a more naive Kurenai would have. Three years ago had taught her not to dismiss her worry, which was how Sakura and Sasuke had went so far into the darkness that consumed them.

"Are you blaming yourself?" Kiba asked softly from her side, knowing in that odd way of his when she was reflecting upon her mistakes even obliquely.

"Not really," Kurenai said "just thinking about how I'm not going to dismiss my worries like with those two."

"Good." Kiba said, glancing at her "I know its hard sensei-"

"I've not been your sensei for a long time Kiba." Kurenai said, a tad ruefully. Which had been true, when Sakura was around Kurenai had spent all her time training the girl in genjutsu. Kurenai had even gone so far as to teach the pink-haired girl Yūhi Clan genjutsu, a punishable offense by the Clan charter of Konoha.

Maybe that was why he had stayed loyal to Konoha.

"You'll always be my sensei," Kiba said fondly "maybe you didn't teach me genjutsu or whatever Ninjutsu you knew, but you helped me grow up. I needed that more ya know."

"So you say." Kurenai said with a shrug of her shoulders. No point in arguing with the boy now, she couldn't fix the past damage caused by her innocent stupidity "let's just not talk about it anymore ok?"

"Well, we never talk about it," Kiba said a tad awkwardly "I mean, you avoid me and Akamaru along with pretty much everyone else. You put on this brave front, but I can see its hurting you..."

"Geez, do girls actually fall for this sensitive act?" Kurenai shot back, a tad cold. She saw Kiba wince, which made her grimace "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be that cold."

"S'ok," Kiba said after a moment, before grinning "and yeah, they usually do fall for the sensitive guy act. The most popular one is the macho act though. Girls really seem to like that one."

"Those are girls." Kurenai said mildly "women are different. Some like those sort, but most like a moderate guy, or submissive men."

"Ahah."

"Now quit trying to seduce me and get your mind on the mission." Kurenai said smiling faintly, which prompted the young man to blush and look away from her. Her amusement subsided quickly when a minute later they reached the edge of the clearing that surrounded the medical lab. Visually the place looked normal, a large building roughly the size of a small mansion.

The doors were made of some heavy metal and there was no sign or hint of combat having taken place, except of course for the feeling of residue chakra. Kurenai moved forward, as her team mates fanned out taking either side. There was something about this chakra, something familiar and something very unwholesome.

"This area isn't right."

"How can you tell?" Kurenai asked, glancing briefly at the young man.

"Well all the scents have completely disappeared. That's not natural even for an advanced medical lab, not counting the fact that the grass is showing at least a week's worth of growth. Plus, there are no disturbances in it, which means that no animals have been near here for an equally long time."

"Genjutsu then," Kurenai murmured, trying to remember anything useful. It'd been so long since she had ever bothered actually using her skills, hence why she had spent so much time running errands within Konoha. Frowning she closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to figure out the genjutsu.

"Localized, covering scents and keeps things undisturbed-no that would be the chakra." Kurenai murmured "Gijiato no Jutsu? No, Kori Shinchuu no Jutsu? No, Magen: Shitsuenjou no Jutsu? Bah, too simple, how about... Magen: Shiromane no Jutsu? Possible but, no, so it's...Fumei Nioi."

"Fumei Nioi." Kiba repeated blankly.

"A simple D-rank genjutsu that 'removes' any scent. Useful if you have an embarrassing odor to try and cover up. At this level and to last this long, it was initiated by a strong genjutsu user and is being supported by a special chakra seal."

"So what do we do?"

"We go inside." Kurenai said, producing a kunai and ignoring the way her hand trembled. At her orders, they nodded and started forward cautiously while Kurenai kept wondering about the situation. Why use such a simple genjutsu? For that matter why cover up a scent, it would have been better to just make it appear normal.

"Stop!" Kurenai suddenly shouted, bringing both Kiba and Akamaru to a sudden halt. Red eyes darting around, putting things together, Kurenai bit her inner-cheek. "Retreat back to the edge of the clearing."

Kiba and his partner did as ordered, while Kurenai remained in her position before kneeling to touch the ground. Frowning, Kurenai molded chakra to her hand. The Fumei Nioi would be pointless in this situation and more telling was the fact that as she studied the grass it showed no traces of her ever touching it. For that matter now that she was seriously paying attention the genjutsu user realized that there was no wind or warmth from the sun.

"Magen: Shiromane no Jutsu, created to seem hastily constructed," Kurenai murmured, remembering a time when she could have figured all that out in a matter of seconds, but it seemed saying it out loud was her only method to remember such information. Scowling she stood and carefully backed away from the research lab, and then at the clearings edge looked around.

They needed to investigate the situation, but there was no way they could safely cross that clearing. Nor could they simply destroy the chakra support seal, they were always located in the center of a genjutsu. That meant that to break the illusion they would have to enter the medical lab first, but that required crossing the clearing.

"What's going on?"

Kurenai ignored the question and instead created a Kage Bunshin that set out without a word. Watching the Kage Bunshin cross the clearing, Kurenai considered the possibilities of what could be waiting in the trap. Glancing at Kiba who was staring after the Kage Bunshin curiously, she decided to explain.

"It was a B-rank genjutsu, which creates an illusory setting that can look, sound and smell like another environment. The limitation of this technique is that nothing like a structure can be hid. It's purely aesthetic, but good for escapes and in this case, it was made to look hastily created as part of a trap."

"A trap?" Kiba asked, joined by Akamaru's low growl of disgust. "What kind of trap?"

"Don't know, hence the Kage Bunshin." Kurenai said as her Kage Bunshin finally reached the door and opened it. For a moment, nothing happened, and then it started to enter the building. A second later, the Kage Bunshin disappeared in a puff of smoke as a multitude of kunai and shuriken struck.

No sooner had Kurenai and her team started forward to engage the enemy, than a hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her backward. Angry she turned to shout at Kiba, only to end up on the ground, followed by his weight pressing down against her as an explosion ripped through the air followed by a rain of debris.

Kurenai grimaced, her ears ringing from the thunder and bones rattling from the shockwave as it passed through the ground. Still, Kurenai couldn't help but be thankful that Kiba had reacted so quickly. After several more minutes, Kurenai stopped thinking about the explosion and those behind it, realizing that the Inuzuka was still on top of her.

"Kiba, you can get off me now," Kurenai managed, refusing to blush from the position they were in. At his lack of response, fear clutched her heart. Hands grasping his shoulders, the Jōnin heaved him off and to the side. Kneeling, Kurenai quickly checked his pulse, which seemed slow and steady, easing her fear.

There was a slight nuzzling of her shoulder and glancing over she found the massive white dog Akamaru staring at them while whining.

"He's been knocked out." Kurenai said getting shakily to her feet, checking out the field now strewn with the rubble that had been the lab. There were also numerous bodies charred in the blast scattered here and there. It didn't take a genius to realize that the genjutsu trap had been carefully designed to ensure that she would figure it out, disarm the obvious trap and then blunder into the second trap which would have blown her to bits.

Well not her specifically, but whoever the pursuer happened to be.

"I need you to stay here Akamaru," Kurenai said, eyeing the nearest body without notable interest "the fire won't spread and there's no telling when Kiba will wake up. I need to warn the other team about this."

Akamaru growled warningly, which made Kurenai glare at the large dog. "Whoever did this is going to be after the other lab. If he doesn't wake up soon, get back to Konoha or hunt down another team."

A low bark followed, but Kurenai took off without looking back. Her heart felt like a fist was squeezing it, tighter than she could have imagined, but she had to do this. Maybe if she repeated that last part enough she could ignore the fact that Kiba was back there, potentially dying from protecting her.

But, the genjutsu user behind this would be targeting the next lab and she had to warn them. More than that, Kurenai knew without logic or reason, that the genjutsu user was Haruno Sakura. Part of Kurenai hoped it to be true, but most of her prayed it wasn't.

Increasing her speed Kurenai promised the Kami and Kiba that even if it cost her life, she would fix the mess she had created.

* * *

"They have this place called Remembrance Plateau, the steps are carved into the side of the mountain and the plateau itself is a marble courtyard with huge Cenotaph's in the middle. They make this circle, spaced out evenly, and in the very center is the largest Cenotaph, dedicated to the Shodai Raikage."

"So each cenotaph is dedicated to a Raikage?" Hanabi asked, glancing at her sensei who nodded.

"Yep and on the anniversary of their births everyone goes up and does this weird dance thing."

Ino just barely suppressed her grin, listening absently about how other Hidden Villages remembered their leaders. Naruto rarely sounded so earnest and usually it involved ramen, but Hanabi had asked about the right subject. Nisei seemed equally amused with the conversation of the two ninja ahead.

Shaking her head, Ino turned mind away from the conversation ahead to the talk she would be having with Naruto later. Indirectly she had gotten the idea from her mom, who had suggested that for some guys it was best to be direct and open about what you wanted. Therefore, Ino had decided that this conversation would be as direct as a kunai to the throat.

Words were a waste of time. It was time for action!

"Hold up." Nisei said, interrupting her thoughts and bringing the whole team to a sudden stop. "We have a situation."

"Can you define 'situation'?" Naruto asked, sounding annoyed.

"There are two ANBU teams ahead." Nisei said, his tone conveying unease "All of them are dead."

"Dead?" Ino asked, a chill crawling up her spine. Two ANBU teams dead, well within the borders of Hi no Kuni, maybe fifteen miles away from Konoha? "Are you sure?"

"Very much so. Keiko-chan has yet to be wrong."

"Diamond formation, Hanabi has rear point." Naruto said and they all took position wordlessly. Konoha might have this team listed as Team Nisei, but in the field, with combat looming there Naruto tended to be in charge. They moved out cautiously, and a second later reached the clearing coming to a stop as Naruto raised his hand.

Ino could see the bodies from her position, it appeared as if some had fallen where they stood and others…looked as if they had turned on each other. Her mind screamed a warning at that, but she couldn't give voice to it, not until she had seen the bodies up close. Naruto made a gesture with his hand, signaling Nisei to circle left and then did the same with his right moving Ino in that direction.

She did as asked, circling the perimeter, trying to find any trace or clue to support her fear. Finding nothing, Ino gestured this to Naruto who nodded and seeing Nisei's own signal, approached the bodies taking care not to disturb them. Ino hung back for the moment, to see if she could catch sight of anything untoward, and then moved forward as well.

"This happened recently," Hanabi said, her tone tight. Battle had taught the girl well, Ino thought noting that the younger girl kept her gaze roving from body to body to avoid lingering on any one place. "Possibly even with-in the hour. I do not see any traps however."

"Who could have done this," Naruto murmured, absently acknowledging Hanabi's report with a faint nod.

Ino knew, she knew to her very bones, because she had finally seen the wounds on some of the bodies. Those that had not turned on each other were identical in one regard. Their armor all sported the same destructive mark, one she had seen often two years previous and her body almost trembled in rage.

"This looks like how Ero-sennin described the Chidori." Naruto said after a moment, his tone thoughtful.

"Not Chidori," Ino corrected, while forcing her tone to remain professional "Raikiri. Chidori is A-rank, Raikiri is the S-rank version but they are two very different techniques."

"How can you be sure?" Hanabi asked, focusing on her now, instead of the bodies.

"A Chidori leaves more of a ragged hole, also despite the fact that it's lightning, the chakra isn't concentrated enough to cauterize the wound. The Raikiri on the other hand," Ino said pausing to gesture at the gaping hole in the ANBU's chest and armor "is far more deadly. The wound is almost a perfect sphere, the blood evaporates from the heat of the attack, and the chakra is so concentrated that the wound itself is cauterized."

"Another difference," Nisei added, almost absently "is the depth of penetration."

"Exactly," Ino agreed crouching to peer at the wound more closely, "the Chidori, while deadly, penetrates no further than the wrist of the user. The Raikiri on the other hand penetrates all the way through the target, allowing the user to strike another object behind the first target."

"So they are basically the same move," Naruto said thoughtfully "but the sheer destructive power is so radically different they can't really be compared."

"Exactly," Ino said, glancing up at him. "You know what this means."

"Sasuke." Naruto said simply, his tone flat.

"And Sakura." Ino said, standing slowly to meet her teammates gaze, fighting to keep her pain and unbridled fury in the tight control of her professionalism "The other ten turned on each other. That's her signature genjutsu '_Magen: Beruseruku Chigokai'_."

"So what do we do?" Hanabi asked.

"_We_ do nothing." Naruto said, turning to face his student "What me, Ino and Nisei are going to do is locate those two. _You_ are going to find the nearest team, ANBU preferably, but a team of Jōnin would also be good, and get them to come back us up."

"Sensei-"

"Hanabi, these two would think nothing of killing you and I don't want you dying. So do as I say."

"Of course," Hanabi said nodding her head before grinning at him "I would like a Sharingan for a keychain souvenir."

"Deal, now get going." Naruto returned with a grin, then when the girl was gone turned back to Ino all business "Ino-chan?"

"What can I say? You both know the risks were facing, I'd say we stick together. When facing the Sharingan its best to fight in a group, we all know that."

"No good." Naruto said after a moment, tone sour "baba can't say officially, but she strongly believes that Sakura's got the Sharingan as well. That's two pairs of Sharingan we'll have to deal with, our group is far too small to handle that."

"Shit." Ino said, wincing at the thought of dealing with a Sharingan powered Sakura. The girl's genjutsu had been strong enough without it, and there was no telling what sort of forbidden medical experiments the girl had applied to herself.

"The Facility would make it impossible to locate the enemy in a group anyway," Nisei offered "we'll have to sweep all three floors, room by room to locate them. Whatever they are after, I doubt they'll wait to confront us once they realize were present and it'll be extremely easy to set traps for us."

"So, we each take a floor and locate the enemy," Ino summarized with a frown, definitely not liking that plan. Still it was obvious that the three of them would swiftly locate the enemy if they moved independently of each other. Another thing in their favor would be that even if they did find an enemy and a fight broke out the other two would be able to reach them quickly.

"Ino should take the first floor," Nisei said, glancing between them "I will take the second floor-"

"And I'll take the third." Naruto finished. "Nobody engages them without the other two, agreed?"

"Of course."

"Yeah."

"Then let's go."

* * *

_Oto no Kuni..._

"Newssss," the snake hissed as Anko came out of her nap, reaching out to collect her snake. It coiled around her forearm, its presence a small comfort and then it began telling her what it had discovered. The news it had made Anko swear softly, she had known there was something to this outpost.

Now she knew what that 'something' was, namely a meeting between Oto no Kuni and Kaminari no Kuni. This meant that Konoha would soon be dealing with Kumo ninja, not a pleasant prospect. Wrapped up in thoughts about the danger this presented, and about the two high level ninja that had been present, she absently dismissed her snake.

Hence, it was only because of Anko's years of life or death battles that she sensed and managed to avoid the blasts of lightning that exploded into being around her. Dodging and weaving her way through the blasts, she came to a skidding stop in the middle of the street, coat billowing impressively.

Her attackers, a man and woman in their mid-twenties, appeared a moment later across from her, bearing such a striking resemblance to the other that they had to be siblings. Adopting a more neutral stance, Anko watched the two intently; the woman tilted her head and the man crossed his arms. Something about this told Anko that the fight to escape would not be easy.

"Mitarashi Anko," the man said pleasantly "the infamous Reaper of Konoha."

Anko remained silent, thinking quickly about how to manage this. Her paramount duty right now was to escape and get the information of the alliance between Oto and Kumo back to Konoha. However, looking at these two, she had the distinct impression that would not be such an easy matter.

"Ika-chan, can I fight her?" the girl asked with a twisted smile on her face.

"Katsura Ikazuchi," Anko said, despite her mouth going dry. At his nod, she glanced at the girl, his sister "Katsura Inadzuma."

"Hey she knows us!" Inadzuma said brightly, eyes glinting in anticipation.

"Of course I know you," Anko said, masking her feeling of unease "You are infamous as the 'Siblings of Thunder and Lightning'."

"So, we all know each other," Ikazuchi said seriously "now it's only a matter of deciding which of us gets to kill you."

Anko was a feared Jōnin, with good reason. She was also known to enjoy a good fight and to do so even when there was no point to fighting. This was not an option now, not only because she had to get this information back to Konoha, but also because these two belonged to an elite Kumo group known as the 'Four Divine Thunders' each of whom stood on equal footing with her.

Hence, Anko's only recourse would be a hasty escape, even if it went against her nature.

"Aww, she's thinking about leaving." Inadzuma said, prompting her brother to fling his hand forward, a hail of glowing needles flying at her. Anko dodged back, crossing her arms in front of her, biting back her scream of pain as several struck her legs, torso and arms. Landing with a grimace, she collapsed to a knee, part in pain and part in distraction.

Anko almost swore at her forgetfulness, Inadzuma and Ikazuchi were the children of Jinkourai Teruo whose clan existed as a counter to the Hyūga. The Clan's bloodline Denkai Myaku allowed them to read electrical fields making it nearly impossible to ambush them and the truly skilled could read the electrical signals in the brain to predict actions. Inadzuma smirked at her, while Anko narrowed her eyes deciding that the 'Suiton: Taihoudan' would be her best bet.

Anko's hands flashed through a series of hand seals before they slammed into the ground, releasing the chakra and Inadzuma registered the change a half-second late. Anko smirked as the ground exploded with two giant snakes, providing the sheer chaos that she needed and without waiting, Anko darted toward the forest, catching Ikazuchi with a hurried Kanashibari no Jutsu.

Seconds later, she disappeared into a Shunshin, beginning the desperate race of escape she now had before her. Reaching the forest she breathed a little easier, the trees would provide good cover and it would make tracking hard with such a head start. Unfortunately, she soon sensed someone closing in rapidly from behind and Anko put on an extra burst of speed, heading deeper into the forest.

At least that was the plan until lightning bolts began raining down around her. Dodging and weaving, the Jōnin leapt upward deciding to take the branches as an escape route, wondering how anyone could have recovered so quickly.

"Rairyuudan no jutsu!"

"Fuck!" Anko shouted, grabbing the branch and flipping downward. It wasn't fast enough and the lightning dragon clipped her, eliciting a scream. Landing heavily she twisted around, hand shooting forward toward the direction she guessed her attacker had been in.

The Sen'eitajashu resulted in nothing more than destruction of branches and Anko set out again, her shoulder throbbing. In a way, this let her ignore the sudden stab of pain from where those glowing darts had struck earlier. Most had grazed her, but a few had burrowed into her flesh.

She needed to dig them out while the pain was dulled, but to do that required losing her pursuer and the young man in question seemed unusually well versed in tracking. Still she had a few tricks to try, starting with the Kirigakure no Jutsu ensuring that he would lose his line of sight on her if he had one, and then followed that up with the Meisai Gakure no Jutsu.

Careful not to leave any tracks, the Jōnin darted off in a new direction hoping her Ninjutsu would buy her time. Several more minutes of travel passed and then confident that she had put enough distance between them, Anko came to a stop inspecting the first dart wound. Not too deep, but this was going to be painful.

Fingers dug into the wound, and when they proved ineffective, she used the tip of a kunai to dislodge it. Her eyes blurred from the tears, breathing rapidly in pain, and her tongue felt as if she had nearly bitten through it. Clenching her eyes shut, Anko blocked the pain as best she could and moved onto the next wound.

At least she did until the tree exploded from a bolt of lightning. Rocked by the explosion, Anko plummeted to the ground surprised, and it took her years of experience to recover and manage to tuck her head and twist. Hitting the ground with a shoulder roll, Anko regained her feet with an unsteady stumble, left shoulder dislocated.

"Escaping me is not such an easy thing that such childish tricks will work." Ikazuchi said, appearing just across from her.

"I'll just have to try harder then," Anko shot back and darted forward while forming the tiger seal and exhaling a massive fireball. The man dodged, but it created the opening Anko needed and she shot past him back into the trees while formed another hand seal to activate the 'Katon: Enjou' which resulted in the fire left in her wake rapidly growing.

Still it was time to take a few precautions while she could; a few dozen Kage Bunshin scattered in various directions, second came the activation of the Hakken no Jutsu, third and finally she activated the Chakra Kaigara which created an unnoticeable shell of chakra that would provide some protection. Before she could even plan beyond that, or consider her situation, a series of Kunai came hurtling at her from ahead and she threw herself into a dizzying display of awkward acrobatics to avoid them.

Wounded or not Anko was among the best and it showed, even as her coat was shredded her body remained untouched. A leap and twist, tucking her knees against her chest, deflected a pair of kunai with her shin protectors before spotting her attacker. Ikazuchi again, how did he keep finding and getting ahead of her?

Still airborne she produced a thin wire and hurled it at a tree branch, which carried her higher and away from the man. Feet encountering a branch Anko started to wonder about this whole situation when a sudden piercing pain from her cursed seal distracted her. Crying out Anko clutched at her neck instinctively, but still managed to dodge a lightning attack from behind just enough to change it from a lethal strike to a crippling one.

Dropping to the ground limply, Anko landed with several sharp cracks from her ribs and leg. It hurt to breathe, she couldn't even move, but she had to get up. Not because of her pursuer, but because of what her cursed seal hurting meant, Orochimaru was near and now was not the time to face him.

"You didn't do too badly." Ikazuchi said from behind her "Still, I'm not someone you can escape; after all you can't outrun lightning."

"Kaze no Yaiba!"

"Senejashu!"

"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Justu!"

Anko winced as one of her Kage Bunshin extracted her from the sudden influx of surprise attacks. Teach that bastard right for ignoring her Kage Bunshin, though for how long he would remain distracted she didn't know. Anko hoped long enough for her body to get back to normal, or near enough.

"Your back is blistered and there's blood." Her Kage Bunshin said, helping her along.

Anko nodded absently, head feeling light and it took all her will power to keep herself firmly in the moment.

"Baisuu Rairyuudan no Jutsu!"

Her Kage Bunshin shoved her away without warning, turning to unleash a Fūton: Daitoppa to counter the lightning dragons, which resulted in a brilliant light display and charred air. Anko meanwhile, wasted no time in fleeing; her chances of escape were dwindling rapidly and her only chance resided further ahead.

Anko could hear the waterfall just ahead, and she increased her pace, willing her body just a little further. Unfortunately, her curse seal flared with pain causing her legs to give out and vision-swimming Anko collapsed. Fingers gouging the earth, Anko forced her body to move, breathing labored and sweating heavily.

There could only be one cause for this strong of a reaction and with a surge of will, Anko regained her feet while turning to face the man she both loved and hated. Orochimaru stood just across from her, smirking in his bemused fashion, studying her as one would study a dying animal.

"Orochimaru."

"Kukukuku, if it isn't my darling little viper," the Sannin said, moving forward sedately. "This is a surprise. I come to see how the negotiations with Kumo are going and find a familiar face."

"I'm not your viper."

Orochimaru came to a stop just across from her, studying her with a casualness that seemed almost soothing. She knew better than trying to match eyes with him, he could hypnotize her easily, so Anko focused on his nose. He smiled disarmingly, as if partially amused and partially pleased with something.

"You've learned." Orochimaru admitted after a moment "the last time we met you still hadn't realized not to look me in the eye. I'm sorry to see you like this though."

"Dying?" Anko rasped, vision wobbling, struggling to remain on her feet "I figured this would be what you wanted."

"No, no," Orochimaru said, his lips twisting in a grin "in pain? Yes. Bleeding? Of course. Dead? No, that is not what I want. After all, even after all this time, you're still _my_ viper."

"A-am I?" Anko managed, battered mind swimming with emotions. Orochimaru had betrayed her, used her and cast her aside…but part of her _still_ loved him.

"Always." Orochimaru said, spreading his hands almost disarmingly "I think it's time you came back to me. It took you a little longer than I thought though, but I think you've learned your last lesson."

"Lesson?"

"I've always told you; sometimes you have to be cruel."

"A-all these y-years..." Anko breathed, rage filling her. He had betrayed her and abandoned her, had done all of this to her, shattered her and laughed, simply _**to teach her a lesson? **_

"I know it was harsh," Orochimaru said, his tone soothing as ever. "But it's almost over now, come with me and Kabuto will take care of your wounds."

"You know," Anko said, realizing that with his presence her chances of escape had disappeared completely. Since escaping would be a waste of time, Anko would at least accomplish one thing and she really owed him for what he had done to Naruto. Reaching up slowly she touched the space where her cursed seal was "I'm a viper, and vipers don't make good pets."

Closing her eye's Anko concentrated and the suppression seal shattered flooding her with the tainted chakra of the cursed seal. It rushed through her, burned and numbed, leaving her awash in the mind-altering feeling of complete power and domination. Opening her eye's Anko grinned wickedly before charging at her sensei.

Zigzagging, mimicking the slithering movement of a snake, Anko closed the gap rapidly before catching him from the left with a kick. Her body responded instantly to her unthought-of desire and contorted to slam her palm into his diaphragm. Orochimaru reeled from the blow, winded and Anko followed after, lost in the sea of power-

A serpent slammed into her chest head first, sending her tumbling end over end. Recovering from her impromptu somersault, Anko hurled a brace of shuriken at the man, before forming the seals for the Kage Shuriken no Jutsu and filling the air with hundreds of the spinning stars of death. Orochimaru in turn, completely at ease, formed the hand seals and spewed a line of mud onto the ground, which formed a wall to defend against the incoming attack.

Snarling, Anko flung her body forward in the wake of her previous attack, preparing to use the 'Daiou Hebi' one of the other forbidden techniques that he had taught her when she collapsed to her hands and knees unimaginable pain flaring through her. It felt as if her insides were filled with hundreds of razor blades.

"Kukuku, did you forget that your body was wounded?" Orochimaru taunted from the end of a long and oddly echoing tunnel.

Struggling she lifted her arm, entirely out of instinct, as if attempting to use Seneijashu or the Seneitajashu. Only instead, Anko partially collapsed at the loss of her support. Each breath came in short, sharp stabs, never enough to satisfy her need for air completely.

"Either way," Orochimaru said his voice closer "An-chan, it's time to wake up."

Anko felt her mind rock, followed by a flash of images that she couldn't process:

_Kakashi's arm draped over her chest, fingers intertwined with hers - Anko laughing as she finally drove Rin to insanity – the Sandaime confiding in her – Falling aside after making love to Orochimaru, plotting to kill the Sandaime - _

Anko began to scream, her mind splintering from the assault of conflicting images and emotions. Anko howled and snarled, she sounded very much like a wounded animal. The crumbling of her mind increased in pace, the images coming faster and faster, then suddenly her perspective shifted radically and she found her gaze staring into the vast depths of her own mind.

Into a dark silent secret, place...

_"It's called the _Seitoku Heitei no Jutsu_. It'll help you hide your real self from the fools that'll question you."_

_"Do I have to do this?" _

_"Yes. You still have things to learn, but to do that you have to be trusted, and the only way for you to have any trust is to 'betray' me and to pass all of their interrogations." _

_"Ok."_

Eyes opening slowly, head and body throbbing in pain, Anko noted the familiar heat of the Shōsen no Jutsu. Her breathing had already eased and she shifted, pushing her body up into a kneeling position. The hands paused, pulling away and Anko lifted her head to find her sensei standing over her, his face holding a hint of curiosity.

"Did you enjoy my screams?" Anko asked, staring into his gorgeous golden eyes with a tiny grin.

"Of course, my viper." Orochimaru said, eyes glinting in amusement "now get some rest."

Anko's world went black as a hand touched her neck.

* * *

_Hi no Kuni..._

The medical lab turned out to be a three-story building, the only windows black. Ino didn't like it; such windows were so that whoever was inside could look out and be unnoticed. The yard seemed well maintained, and according to Nisei, there were no signs of traps laying in wait.

After another minute Naruto motioned them to follow as he led the way to the entrance. Ino and Nisei slipped to the sides of the double doors, and Naruto grabbed the handle stepping to the side as he pulled it open. Ino darted in first, covering the left side and Nisei followed, covering the right. Naruto came in behind them, easing the door shut behind him.

The lobby was Ino expected, large and impressive, dominated by a massive desk. The lights were bright; the pure whiteness of the walls and floor provided a stark contrast to the dark red splotches and smears.

"Anyone else wondering what I'm wondering?" Naruto asked his tone dark.

"Where are the bodies?" Nisei asked, prompting Ino to nod curtly.

"I just hope they haven't made Shinin." Ino said after a moment, as the group headed for the stair well "I'm not anxious to fight an army of those damn things."

"I'll just blow the place up if it gets that bad," Naruto said with a vicious grin before opening the heavy safety door to reveal the stairs and more blood.

"You guys be careful." Ino said.

"I have to be," Nisei commented warily "Kekio-chan would kill me if I died."

Ino blinked, and then chuckled as the boy started up the stairs. Turning she meant to say something to Naruto, but instead found his face inches from hers. Surprised she leaned back, until his fingers found her chin and pulled her forward. Ino's heart thudded painfully against her chest, anticipating the kiss that had to be coming.

Eyes closing she prepared for it, only for him to tilt her head down and brush his lips against her forehead. Opening her eye's she stared at the uncertain looking Naruto annoyance flaring within her. They were all facing a high-risk battle and he expected _that_ to be their last memory?

Hand lunging out she grabbed his jacket as the other grabbed a hand full of hair, and yanked him forward. Ino's mouth met his forcefully, tongue demanding entrance, which it got. Naruto's arms snaked around her waist, pressing her body tighter against his, and when they broke the kiss, Ino felt as if Naruto had tried to suck the air out of her lungs.

Naruto blinked several times, a dazed look on his face.

Releasing her grip prompted Naruto to mechanically follow her lead, Ino grinned at him while fighting to keep her knees from giving out. "Be careful."

"Uh huh." Naruto managed, and then after another few minutes shook his head as if to clear it. With one last look at her, he turned disappearing into the stairwell, bumping into the doorframe as he went. Once the door closed, Ino turned away, her heart trying to explode, when she caught movement in her peripheral vision.

Sword coming free, Ino darted toward the empty hallway, barreling through a partially opened door, crossing a conference room and then burst into another hallway. Skidding to a halt, she found the source of the movement.

"Haruno Sakura."

The pink-haired girl paused, turning toward Ino.

"You are an A-rank missing-ninja."

"Oh," Sakura said, a bright smile finding its way to her face "its piggy."

"You are guilty of crimes against Konoha," Ino said, her face an emotionless mask as she lifted her sword to point at Sakura. "Surrender immediately or die."

"How about, hmm…neither?"

"Death it is." Ino intoned, unable to help her dark smirk.

* * *

AN:

For those curious about what creature the Yonbi is based of off, in Shinobi Wars at least, it's called a 'Taimatsumaru' (or Taimatsu-maru). A Taimatsumaru is a hawk-like creature covered in demonic flames that are said to disrupt the path of Buddha. (I also wrote this far before we knew what the Yonbi was supposed to be and i didn't feel like rewriting it).

Now let the flames begin!


	26. Chapter 24: Dark Illusion

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 24:  
_-Dark Illusion-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

"Haruno Sakura."

The pink-haired girl paused, turning toward Ino.

"You are A-rank missing-ninja."

"Oh," Sakura said, a bright smile finding its way to her face "its piggy."

"You are guilty of crimes against Konoha," Ino said, her face an emotionless mask as she lifted her sword to point at Sakura. "Surrender immediately or die."

"How about, hmm…neither?"

"Death it is." Ino intoned, shooting forward, her sword whistling through the air in a slash that passed through Sakura. Rebalancing from the force of the blow Ino felt like swearing, how could she let a Genjutsu fool her? Angry at her amateurish mistake, Ino surged her chakra while forming a hand seal, dispelling the illusion.

'Sakura' flickered out of existence, along with an illusion that had apparently been covering the hallway. Instead of a simple dark hallway, Ino found the walls streaked with blood, but still there were no bodies. That disturbed her more than the blood, but she had other things to focus on.

Like keeping her anger and pain from overriding her common sense, because Ino wasn't just chasing any missing ninja, but Sakura. Her childhood friend, her best friend, and the closest thing she had to a sister. Sakura, who had betrayed the village, betrayed her and Ino wanted to gut her for it.

Realizing she was running the risk of losing her objectivity, Ino took a steadying breath, pushing her feelings of betrayal and anger behind her professionalism. It didn't matter what Sakura had done to her personally, she had to put her duty as an ANBU first. Twirling Yuzuha up to a resting position along the back of her arm, Ino hurried to the end of the hall and cautiously peeked around the corner.

Seeing nothing, Ino still hesitated to ease into the next hallway. Judging by that previous Genjutsu, Sakura had to be close by since the earlier responses were too realistic to be pre-scripted. Ino had to be careful, Sakura's Genjutsu were nothing to take lightly and there was no telling what else she had up her sleeves.

Easing into the hallway, Ino started down the hallway slowly twirling her sword back into a proper grip as she reached the door to an office. A faint 'clicking' noise followed as Ino eased the door opened, visually sweeping the room before surging her chakra to dispel any illusions that might be present. Satisfied that the room was clear, Ino moved to another office, repeating the process.

Three more offices were cleared in the process, but still no sign of Sakura. Ino grimaced; her nerves growing jumpy with each passing moment, there should have been something by now. Of course, Sakura could be doing this on purpose, just to mess with Ino's head and make her just that much more likely to make a stupid mistake.

It also didn't help that she kept expecting some creature to jump out and attack her, which was Naruto's fault. She'd watched one too many late night horror movies with him. It was starting to fray her nerves even more than the confrontation that was looming; Ino shook her head, forcing those feelings once more behind her professionalism.

"Come on Piggy, can't you catch up?"

Ino spun at the voice, catching sight of Sakura. A quick surge of chakra dissolved the illusion and Ino glowered, promising that Sakura would pay for this. Turning Ino continued down the hallway, grumbling under her breath, when she registered the faint sound of snapping wire.

Eyes widening Ino's sword whirled into motion, deflecting the two dozen kunai that followed an instant later. Knocking the last one aside, Ino swore touching the shallow cut on her shoulder. A brief application of chakra took care of the wound, and Ino was just thankfully that was the only wound she received; deflecting kunai was not her first choice in defensive tactics, especially not in such a confined space.

Reaching up, Ino touched her earpiece "Naruto, Nisei, I've found Sakura. She's down here on the first floor." Static came back and Ino frowned, checked the channels and then repeated her message. At the continued static, Ino turned the damn thing off, she would have to just go ahead and hope that when the real fighting broke out the others would turn up.

She had taken maybe four or five steps, when the sound of a door creaking drifted down the hall. Hurrying, Ino came to an abrupt stop at the corner, listening intently, trying to control her breathing. Peeking cautiously around the corner, she spotted Sakura standing in front of an emergency door, fussing with something that Ino couldn't see.

One silent, deep breath later, Ino flung herself around the corner and lunged for the unprepared Sakura. It took a moment to register the slamming door, but Ino kicked the door open giving chase to the now fleeing Sakura. There was no way she would let that traitorous bitch get away, pushing branches away and weaving through the tree.

It wasn't until she was deep into the forest that Ino came to a skidding stop from a smirking Sakura. Her heart was thudding painfully against her chest, sweat trickling down the sides of her face, less from exertion and more from a suddenly powerful dread. It took her only a moment to realize that she had fell prey to a combination of a Genjutsu and her own anger, resulting in this situation.

The Genjutsu had used her anger, her sense of betrayal and righteous fury, to make her blindly seek out a confrontation.

"So, long time." Sakura said with a mocking casualness.

"Haruno." Ino returned curtly, fingers twitching around the hilt of her sword. "For crimes against-"

"We already covered that," Sakura said, cutting Ino off "let's not cover old ground."

"Fine." Ino allowed, charging forward, blade slashing travelling in a Senkouken, forcing Sakura to dodge. Recovering Ino shifted her weight, preparing to follow up, when she registered several kunai with pouches heading for her. Reacting Ino moved with all the nimble grace that she possessed, racing the various pouches as they exploded scattering small pieces of paper.

Ino knew the move, those pouches held dozens of inactive exploding notes and all it would take was a single spark. Spotting Sakura, who blew a mocking kiss a split-second before throwing a kunai, Ino used her free hand to form a single-handed seal to mold her chakra and unleash a Fūton: Daitoppa.

The numerous explosive notes and the kunai were scattered away as they ignited, devastating the surrounding area. Stumbling back from the force of the blast, Ino quickly located Sakura who had also avoided the blast. Tightening her grip on Yuzuha, Ino watched the other girl like a hawk.

"One handed seals," Sakura said, giving Ino an appraising gaze "impressive."

"Thanks." Ino grated out, rapidly forming the hand-seal unleashing a massive fireball. Sakura dodged the Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu, but Ino had expected as much and tracked Sakura's movement. A Shunshin moved Ino into position, her sword diagonally behind her as she crouched and then began to spin, unleashing it in an upward slash.

An airborne Sakura reacted by flinging her left hand out and used the hand-guard as a pivot point, swinging her legs around to catch Ino alongside the jaw and shoulder. Ino spun away from the twin blows, hitting the ground and somehow managed to roll into a crouch, sword jabbing into the ground and nearly jerking her arm out of it socket.

Panting, jaw throbbing and her other arm sore, Ino turned her head ever so slightly to spot her opponent. That was when Ino caught sight of the distinctive black and red eyes known as Sharingan, and her blood ran cold. The only real comfort was the fact that her Sharingan had only two tomoe.

"So, what now?" Ino asked, trying to stall until she came up with a plan. "Just back for a visit?"

"Sasuke wanted to judge his strength." Sakura said, gaze drifting back toward the lab. Ino might have attacked at the obvious lapse in attention, but Sakura was an A-rank criminal and attacking without a plan wasn't a good idea.

"News flash, Naruto sent Itachi running." Ino offered, her free hand gathering a fistful of dust.

"I know." Sakura said, turning her attention back to Ino "That's why he wants to face Naruto; it's the best way to compare his growth."

"Geez and he picked Naruto to compare size with?" Ino asked, and at Sakura's disbelieving look, Ino lunged with a thrust toward Sakura's stomach. Sakura recovered quickly enough, pivoting to the side to avoid the thrust, which put her in the perfect position for Ino to throw the dirt in her face.

Blinded, Sakura jerked away and Ino spun catching the girl with a reverse sidekick knocking Sakura end over end to the ground. Two steps later Ino jumped, dropping like a stone toward her opponent, sword poised for a strike. Her attention lapsed briefly however, part of her screaming if she could really kill Sakura and the other girl managed to take advantage of that opening.

Two feet came up, connecting with Ino's shin and sternum before kicking her away. Ino hit the ground painfully and rolled painfully into a kneeling crouch, panting and cursing her softness. Surging back to her feet, Ino made another charge, as a furious looking Sakura whirled around, first glowing a greenish-blue.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was no medical expert, his knowledge of medicine was about the same as any experienced ninja. Still, the instant he stepped onto the third floor, he knew there was more to this place than just researching cures. Instead of offices, he found numerous labs, sealed shut behind some odd safety glass, with oddities that reminded him of the stories Ero-sennin had told him about Orochimaru's old labs.

The first lab contained a series of metallic tables, each with a human body stripped of skin leaving the muscles visible, along with needles and other medical devices attached or jabbed into the thick fibers. The second lab had rows of specimen jars that reached from floor to ceiling, each filled with a noxious colored liquid and various body parts. The third held more jars, these filled with deformed fetuses and strange monstrosities.

After the next two, Naruto stopped paying complete attention to the contents, unless something moved he wasn't interested. Besides, it was hard to keep his anger in check, and if he wasn't careful, it could let the Kyūbi take advantage of their empathetic link. He did promise however, that the first chance he got he would confront both Tsunade and the Hokage.

He passed the last two and stopped short, catching sight of an open doorway. A chill raced up his spine, something was hovering just beyond that door, something with a thick destructive intent. Taking a breath, he pressed ahead, surreptitiously slipping a kunai into his hand, pressing the flat of the blade against the inside of his forearm.

Stepping through the doorway he paused, eyes scanning the darkened room filled with cubicles and a glass paneled meeting room in the corner. He took three steps forward and catching movement in the corner of his eye, stopped. He didn't need to look to know who it was, the destructive intent was powerful but he remembered the underlying presence from three years ago in the Chūnin exams.

"Gene splicing, chemical testing, toxins and deadly diseases." Uchiha Sasuke said, "The majority of this is all Kinjutsu research."

"I bet this just got Sakura all excited didn't it." Naruto asked, turning slowly to face Sasuke, noting the sword slung across his lower back. "So, is this the part where I gouge your eyes out or you want to talk some more?"

The sword whispered from its sheath, no flourish or showmanship. Naruto absently noted the straight edge to the blade, and the longer than average length, important features but it was still just a sword. He had to be careful, if this battle dragged out and started using Ninjutsu Naruto ran the risk of unleashing whatever chemicals the labs held.

"It's been three years since the last time we faced each other," Sasuke said, eyes swirling to the infamous Sharingan "I am interested only in testing my capacity."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever floats your boat. I just wanna kill you." Naruto countered blithely, watching Sasuke's body language as Sasuke adopted a ready stance with the sword held diagonally across his waist, left hand resting just against the flat of the blade. Sasuke shot forward with blinding speed, carrying him into the Hebi style.

Naruto knew that style, and the instant Sasuke disappeared from view Naruto shifted his attention to the edge of his vision. He registered the glimmer of the sword, and Naruto dodged back, as Sasuke and the sword came into view the blade slashing through the air in an upward slice. Hand snapping forward, Naruto threw the kunai so that the tip hit dead center of the blade, following up with a concentrated 'Fūton: Reppushou'.

His plan to use the kunai as a 'sword-breaker', which had worked before on others, fell short as the weapon split in half. Landing from his leap, Naruto grimaced, realizing the cause immediately.

"Not a bad idea," Sasuke said, crackling bolts of lightning moving along its surface "but even you have to realize that my Kusanagi is no ordinary blade."

Biting his thumb, Naruto began forming hand seals only to abandon them as Sasuke pressed his attack. The attempt at summoning wasted; Naruto used his wrist holster to produce a fresh kunai, coating it in wind chakra, deflecting the slashing blade. Pushing it down and away, Naruto shifted his weight using the Hebi style for a palm heel to Sasuke's chin.

Sasuke lessened the impact by hopping back on impact, which allowed his Kusanagi to sweep toward Naruto. Naruto reacted out of instinct, using his free hand to block the blade, only to register a searing pain followed by a painful numbness. Sasuke lunged forward, using the deflected swords momentum to plunge an elbow into Naruto's solar plexus.

Naruto glanced at his arm noting the dripping blood, and berated his stupidity for using the Hebi against Orochimaru's own apprentice. With the Sharingan, Sasuke was more than able to turn the Hebi to his advantage. Flexing his fingers, Naruto grimaced, he had no feeling and blood oozing down his arm, but at least he could still use it.

A second later Naruto lunged to the side, spinning around to fire off his kunai catching Sasuke along the shoulder. Skidding to a halt, Naruto lunged toward the stumbling Sasuke and ducked beneath a slash at his neck before springing upward like a frog, a kunai aimed at the underside of Sasuke's jaw. Sasuke managed to jerk his body back from the path and kicked Naruto in the sternum, sending him sliding away, twirling his sword around before aiming it at Naruto.

Naruto came to a stop as several crackling bolts of lightning flashed from the sword, rushing toward him. Eyes widening, Naruto dropped to his knee while gathering chakra to the palm of his hand and slammed a Rasengan into the floor. Dropping through to the next floor, Naruto stumbled and then bound away from the hole, spinning around to face it.

He had to take this fight outside; otherwise, that lightning would be his death. Reaching up he touched his earpiece, trying to reach Nisei but received nothing but static. Grumbling he tried Ino and at the continued static, simply pulled the earpiece out and tossed it aside, and while part of him felt annoyed, another part worried for his teammates.

Both parts disappeared though, as Sasuke dropped through the hole a second later, sword held at his side, Sharingan bearing down on him. Naruto knew better than to actually meet them and instead focused on the enemy's lower body. It took a moment, but Naruto realized that the ringing in his ears wasn't from the lightning but a fire alarm and he felt his stomach tighten instinctively.

"Are you done running?"

"I wasn't running," Naruto said, cracking his neck "I just wanted more room to play."

* * *

He should have explored the whole floor and then moved to backup to one of the others, but there had been complications. The blood and gore on virtually every surface, some in distinctive designs, along with the mutilated body lying three steps away primarily. Common sense told him not to move any further until he found out what was waiting on for him, and Nisei had not made Jōnin by ignoring his common sense.

Still as he waited for his over-charged Kikchu to search the floor, he debated about the cause. Sasuke and Sakura were ultimately the cause of course, but they were not the types too randomly cause this sort of destruction. Shinin were likely, but the time it took to create one wouldn't fit the time of death, so most likely Sakura's infamous 'Magen: Chimanako' was the culprit.

In which case, there might still be a few berserkers lurking around. That was part of the reason it was such a fearsome Genjutsu, it not only affected whole groups driving them into mindless bloodlust, but it also involved Sakura's medical expertise making it impossible to break.

Once a berserker, always a berserker.

He came out of his thoughts as his Dots of chakra returned, swirling to take on a roughly humanoid face. It actually wasn't required for them to report, after all the Chakra dots were just his Kikchu overcharged with chakra, but it hid that fact from others and by now had become habit. The message they delivered was the same: nothing.

They had found nothing but dead bodies, blood and more dead bodies. Whatever had torn through this floor was long gone, or at least it appeared to be gone. He would have to make his own sweep of the floor to ensure that his Kikchu were wrong, not that he believed that to be the case, but still he would like to be sure.

Cautiously he eased toward the double doors separating the rest of the floor from the stairwell. Stepping over the body, he crouched shifting it so that the doors could swing closed and then crept forward to the corner. Reaching the edge he peeked around the edge and spotting nothing in either direction, stood heading for the first room.

A careful check of all nine rooms, three rooms were divided to create two medical exam areas per room, while the rest were divide to create as many offices as they could from the remaining six. The exam areas were places that would send some Jōnin looking for a place to throw up, while the offices offered a more subdued –but no less disturbing- sight.

Satisfied that things were as they appeared Nisei started back, reaching up to touch his radio and touch in with the others. His message to both Ino and Naruto returned nothing but static, leaving Nisei with a the less than reassuring feeling. A moment later a chill crawled along his spine, something was watching him.

He didn't let on to this fact, he merely kept moving in the same steady pace, wondering how he had missed it before now.

He registered the sound of footsteps as he passed the third office on his left, and spun to face his attacker. This turned out to be a blood-splattered man in a white lab coat, who had a crazed gleam in his eyes. The man lunged, a ball of animalistic instinct driven to murder anything it saw, and Nisei ducked under his outstretched arms plunging a kunai into the man's ribs before slicing up and through the man's spine.

Pulling it free, Nisei stepped back to stare down at the dying thing, pity and disgust mixing in his mind. Registering a new presence bearing down on him from behind, as a piercing alarm went off, Nisei pivoted away flinging his hand out and peppering a berserking nurse in the face with his chakra dots. Eying the woman warily, he hurried down the hallway to the stair, only to find them sealed.

Frowning he gave the handle a sharp shove down, but it remained shut. He wondered briefly, why a door leading to the only exit in the building would lock, but then realized that it would be a safety feature to contain biological agents. This was not a typical medical research lab after all; it was one designed and ran by Konoha. As a military facility, there was no telling what it did besides research cures, so logically such a system would be in place, and any life lost would be 'acceptable'.

Turning away from the doors, he stared back out at the hallway. If those two berserkers had managed to avoid both his Kikchu and his own search, then there could be more. More importantly though, Nisei wanted to know how in the hell they had managed to pull such a thing off, but since nobody had studied the actual effects of Sakura's Genjutsu there was no telling.

A more serious problem occurred to him a minute or so later; he was trapped on this floor. For the first time he wished he had a Ninjutsu like Naruto that could just blast the door off its hinges. He didn't though, but there was a decent sized one-way, safety window at the end of the hallway and he could probably break through there.

His plans derailed when a loud noise, like a collapsing ceiling, filled the air causing Nisei to duck down out of instinct. Realizing that nothing more was happening, he stood as debris and dust drifted past the corner. Nisei moved forward, reaching the corner in time to hear Naruto make a comment about wanting more room to play, and he almost chuckled.

Stepping into the hallway, Nisei had just enough time to jump back as just in time to avoid a bolt of lightning that pierced Naruto's shoulder. This was not the fight to go rushing head on into; the best job for him would be to play support. Spreading his hands on the ground, he sent plain Kikchu out into the hallway as scouts.

Without chakra, they wouldn't register to the Sharingan as anything other than simple bugs. Closing his eyes, Nisei used the link with his family to get an idea of what the flow of the battle seemed to be taking. Several things became apparent once they were in position; Sasuke was being methodically in his efforts of hampering Naruto's movements while Naruto seemed to be using very few techniques.

Puzzling over that for a moment, Nisei 'watched' the fight for a few more minutes before acting. Naruto had just made an impressive jump and twist, which Nisei would have sworn was impossible physically, to take to the ceiling and Sasuke was distracted tracking his enemy. Nisei's family struck then, covering Sasuke and taking what amounted to a 'group gulp' of his chakra.

Stepping around the corner, Nisei lifted his hands, commanding his Kikchu to clamp down with the pincers. Just as he started to jerk his hands a part, which would have resulted in ripping flesh from Sasuke's body, a crackling net of lightning erupted incinerating the bugs. Eyes widening, Nisei tried to create a counter to that, when he registered Sasuke charging toward him sword swept to his side and other hand crackling with lightning.

Nisei instinctively began filling the hallway with his family, but Sasuke weaved his way through them without hesitation. Sasuke had always been fast, but he seemed unnaturally so now. Nisei had enough time to note the black flames creeping across his face, thought briefly about Kekio, and wondered what would happen to her once he was gone.

Something hit him, hard sending him flying back and into a wall. His world went dark around the edges for a moment, but when it came back into focus...it was over.

* * *

_Ame, Tower of Pain..._

Pain stood on the highest balcony of his tower, staring out over the village that he had conquered, watching the constant drizzle. It had been a long time since he had been alone usually Konan hovered nearby. It almost didn't feel right for her not to be at his side, but she would be back soon enough and he looked forward to that.

Memories were not the best of companions, especially the sort that he carried. Closing his eyes Pain relaxed his body, relishing the wind and dampness on his skin. The soft sound of the rain filled his ears, almost a hypnotic sound like a heartbeat, urging him to forget the world.

Mind wandering it drifted toward the Jinchūriki, and the power they could grant. The sealing of the Jinchūriki would allow anyone the power to conquer the world; it would make you the ultimate force. Pain's goals were not domination, from the very beginning -despite Madara's thoughts- they had been the death of this world.

Using the Bijū's power, Pain would wipe the plague that was the elemental countries from the face of the planet. After that, as was his right as God, Pain would rebuild the world in his image. He would create a paradise out of the chaos and war, and at his side would be his angel Konan. Of course, Madara would realize this soon enough, he had not helped found Konoha by being stupid.

A faint frown formed, as his mind considering the problem of Uchiha Madara. The Uchiha was not a problem due to a direct threat to Pain, nothing could truly threaten him, but rather because he stood in the face of Pain's goal. As all 'immortals' did, but they would soon be dealt with.

Of course, Madara would attempt to betray him, but Pain would be ready to strike the blasphemer down.

"You seem awfully relaxed."

"I take it you have news Zetsu-san?" Pain asked, unmoving and uncaring of the man's sudden appearance.

_**"YeS,"**_ Zetsu's second, disjointed voice said, **_"Kakuzu has managed to capture the Ichibi Jinchūriki, and both he and Hidan are currently at the Kusa Hideout recovering. Also, Konan reports that Madara has struck an alliance with Orochimaru." _**

"Of course he has." Pain said absently, enjoying the feel of the wind against his face "I can tolerate it for the moment. How goes the Sanbi Host hunt?"

"We found him," Zetsu, the normal toned one this time, said "but that fool you sent with me not only blew our cover, but got himself killed. The Jinchūriki has escaped and disappeared once more."

"I cannot say I'm surprised, just disappointed. He was a member merely to shore up our chakra requirements for the sealing process, but I had hoped he could provide some usefulness in other ways." Pain said lowering his chin to his chest. "Either way, for now withdraw."

"Are we going to seal the Ichibi Jinchūriki then?"

"Yes, and then the Rokubi Jinchūriki. We'll spend at least a week sealing them, after which I want you to lay low and gather information on the remaining Jinchūriki."

_**"WhAt Of KiSaMe AnD ItAcHi?" **_

"Have they captured the Yonbi?" Pain asked, mildly interested. Those two were the most reliable team he had ever put together, it was little disconcerting, but nothing too troubling.

"Yes."

"Then they'll return to our closest base, tell them to prepare the area for long term holding. We'll have to capture the Nibi and the Sanbi before we can proceed." Pain paused, then closed his eyes "After we've sealed the Bijū and Hidan has recovered I'll send him to try and capture the Nibi, Konan can observe."

There was a moment of silence, for a moment Pain expected a confirmation, but then realized the foolishness of that. Zetsu was the best at his job and he would not hang around longer than he needed to. Settling his body back into a relaxed position, the Akatsuki leader turned his mind toward Madara and Konan.

* * *

_Kusa Empire, Kirin Castle..._

"Tea."

The servant, a moon-faced middle aged woman with a fixed empty smile, poured it for him. He downed it quickly, without really tasting the liquid and then held the cup out for a refill. This he drank just as quickly and just as tastelessly, aware that his life was forfeit.

Utagaibukai Noga, younger brother to the most beloved man in Kusa Daimyo Hittori, had been spending an increasing amount of time trying to assassinate his brother. Sadly each attempt had failed, though the last one had been close: So close that his brother had his soldiers bring Noga to his castle where he'd been held in semi-isolation for about a month.

"Would you like something to eat?" The servant asked politely, offering a small tray bearing rice and charcoaled fish.

"Fine." Noga said rudely, disgusted that this would be his last meal. Noga forced the food down, not speaking with the woman or even acknowledging her.

When he finished she took the tray and set it aside and bowed politely. "Do you require anything else?"

"No." Noga said sourly, hating his brother all the more for this torture. The way she said 'anything' made it obvious that she was willing to sleep with him, and Noga couldn't bring himself to accept that due to her strong resemblance to his mother. She left him alone and he sat there quietly, waiting for the final confrontation with his brother.

"It has been an honor to serve you." The woman said and then collecting the empty tray, with another bow, left the room.

Noga drifted in his thoughts, wondering about his mother, and how his brother would end this. Then suddenly, Noga registered an alien presence and he glanced around the room before he found a hard-faced samurai standing just in the door way, staring at him steadily. He wanted to laugh; his brother didn't even have the bravery to face him alone at the end.

"You're brother requires your presence." The Samurai said briskly, his tone flat and bordering on impolite.

Noga could have killed him possibly; he had spent his youth as a ninja. True he had never progressed past the rank of Genin, but it was possible that if not for Naruto slicing his hand in half, during his first and last Chūnin Exams, it was possible he could have been a Jōnin by now. Noga however, didn't feel like wasting the effort, no he would save his energy for his brother.

"Very well," Noga said, getting to his feet and smoothing out his kimono. "Let's go see my dear brother."

"Follow me." The samurai said, his coal-dark eyes never wavering. Turning he led the way out of the room and Noga followed, outside two more stern looking samurai waited, and when he appeared they fell into step behind him. He retained his unnerving calm, determined to show these cretins how a true man faced his end.

Noga followed his samurai guide along the corridor, then up some stairs and yet another corridor. They turned a corner; the samurai opened an ironbound reinforced door and led the way up the stone steps into the inner central keep of this part of the castle. There were many guards on duty, but Noga paid them no attention.

The stairs curled upward and ended at an easily defendable space. Guards opened an iron door and Noga went forward unafraid, aware of his guard moving to follow behind him. Stepping out onto the battlement he found his brother standing alone, unarmed, and smiling in a friendly fashion.

"Brother, how nice to see you." Hittori said happily "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Brother." Noga returned stiffly, glaring at the other man, calculating on if he could reach Hittori before the samurai cut him down or not.

"I thought it would be best to have this discussion up here. I think the view here is exquisite."

"It is beautiful." Noga said uncaring still trying to gauge the odds of killing Hittori.

"Thank you Madea-san, that will be all." Hittori said jovially, and to Noga's surprise the guard left, leaving them alone. Before Noga could launch his attack however, Hittori was speaking once more, his tone a bit heavier. "So, I assume that you know why I've brought you here."

"You've decided to take my head, Hittori." Noga said with contempt.

"But I haven't decided to take your head." Hittori said, shaking his head "No, my brother, I have no desire for your head. Oh, I might have a right to it considering the attempts on my life. But I don't want it."

"I don't understand." Noga said, staring at him blankly, Noga was sure his life was over. So why this pathetic game?

"Yes, I know." Hittori said without inflection, gazing at him steadily as the sun lowered lengthening the surrounding shadows. "If it were you, I have no doubt that I would be dead. Equally I know that at any moment you are going to lunge and try to kill me before the guards return, but before that I wish to tell you something."

"Such as what?" Noga asked, glowering at the man.

"That I am sending you away. Far away, to the furthest edges of _my_ empire, where your mother waits." Hittori said, closing the gap so that they were inches apart. "You will live out the rest of your days in isolation there, where your every desire and want will be filled."

Noga gaped; he had expected death, not this.

"Now," Hittori said stepping away slightly "if you wish to kill me, you may do so."

Noga bit his tongue, glaring at his brother, fighting the maddening urge to kill him. But his mother was there, he could finally see her and he knew that even isolated he could still strike out at his brother. Hittori stepped back and approached the door and Noga turned to watch him, startled to find Sazuko appearing from thin-air to join him and suddenly Noga understood.

He might be alive, but his ambitions were dead.

* * *

_Hi no kuni..._

Sakura had expected Ino to be good, but she had improved more than she would have imagined. Breathing heavily, Sakura stared across the ruined area, hand resting on her thigh healing a wound. This fight had lasted longer than she expected not that Sakura had wanted to fight in the first place: It was wasting her last chance at saving Sasuke from that seal, the enzymes were replicating too quickly to be controlled much longer and her own research had offered no hope.

Even this raid, which had been her idea, was doomed as nothing presented itself.

That's why she had relented to Sasuke's desire to face Naruto, because if Sakura could convince Ino then Sasuke would have a chance and that was Sakura's sole reason to exist now. She loved him in the frightening way that without him she would not be able to live. The only problem was that Ino wouldn't let her save Sasuke, the other young woman had provoked a fight and was not giving Sakura the chance to try and explain.

Ino had to see the desperation in her eyes, hear the despair in her tone!

With a roar of fury Sakura drove her chakra-powered fist into the ground, smashing shattered slabs of stone and dirt free from the ground and launching some into the air. Ino scrambled out of hiding, sword slashing through flying debris as she went. Sakura charged, throwing exploding shuriken, rebounding off various surfaces as she tried to reach the other ninja. Ino landed heavily, most likely twisting her ankle, but sprang clear as Sakura shattered a tree with a punch.

Sakura wheeled around, lifting her fingers for a Genjutsu, only to register Ino throwing her sword. Pure reflex made Sakura catch it, the blade slicing into the palm of her hand. Wincing, Sakura glanced at Ino a split second before a ripple of wind sliced up the length of her forearm, causing Sakura to drop the sword, which zoomed back to Ino. And She retreat while frantically trying to stem the blood flow.

Finding cover, Sakura focused all of her attention on healing her arm. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, Sakura had lucked out, her arteries were untouched, but she was bleeding and that wasn't good. Expending more chakra, she stretched her medical charka out to cover as much of her wounds as she could.

Sensing danger, Sakura threw her body to the side as Ino's sword sliced through the upturned rock she'd been using as cover. Rolling to a stop, Sakura got to her feet, panting as she stared at her opponent. Sakura felt a dull pain starting to creep through her head, but she ignored it; she had to end this fight soon.

With each passing moment the Cursed Seal Sasuke bore ate a little more of his will and mind; his only salvation was the dark obsession of revenge that drove him. Sakura had to finish this fight quickly and do so in such a way that she could convince Ino to help Sasuke, but they were too closely matched.

"So _forehead_," Ino said, "I gotta know, can you do one handed seals?"

"So that's your brilliant plan?" Sakura shot back cynically, feeling the last of her wounds closing. Good, now if she could just keep Ino believing her arm was out she might have a chance. Ino suddenly rushed toward her with a furious cry, forcing Sakura to backpedal as the blade came inches from slicing her throat.

Ino pressed her attack, sword whistling through the air so rapidly that Sakura's Sharingan had difficulty keeping up. Each sweep of the blade brought it closer to hitting its target, but Sakura wasn't going to let that happen, she would find her opening. Her opening came soon enough; Ino brought her sword around for a downward chop, and Sakura pivoted around the blow, delivering a round-kick to the small of Ino's back.

Ino flew from the blow, but recovered deftly with a handstand into a flip. Ino stumbled from her ankle, struggling to turn around, but Sakura was already descending from her own jump, delivering an axe kick known as the 'Tsuuten Kyaku'. Normally it would prove devastating, but Ino blocked by crossing her arms over head in an X-block.

The impact sank the girl up to her shins into the ground, creating a spider-web of cracks out from the holes. Sakura blinked, staring at her former friend in utter surprise, when had she developed her own super strength? Gritting her teeth, Ino surged up casting Sakura's leg aside and jumped.

Stumbling Sakura righted herself just as Ino began her descent and Sharingan swirling, Sakura struggled through the almost blinding pain to read the incoming attack. Eyes widening in surprise and horror, Sakura threw herself into motion a split second before a bolt of chakra exploded from the tip of the sword. As the bolt split into three spiraling blades of chakra that fanned out like massive claws, Sakura used her medical expertise and increased her bodies adrenal output, which allowed her to escape the attack by scant inches.

Spinning on the ball of her foot, throwing her arms wide to help break her momentum, Sakura spotted Ino seconds from landing. A surge of chakra later and Ino was caught in a Kanashibari no Jutsu, as her feet touched the ground. Head swimming, Sakura stumbled, shaking her head as the pain had reached nearly blinding levels.

Her Sharingan had been active for far too long and she had been using too much chakra. Trembling fingers found one of her few remaining pills, downing the bitter medicine, grimacing horribly as the painful burning sensation coursed through her cornea and sclera. The only reason she hadn't collapsed into a screaming pile of uselessness, was her years of experience with such pain.

This meant her hands were glowing and deadening the pain seconds before the pain overwhelmed her. Hands lowering, Sakura felt even more dismay at discovering that her world was an even more washed out version of varying shades of grey. Collapsing to her knees as the blessed relief of blindness washed over her, Sakura took deep breaths trying to steady her body.

Recovered as much as humanly possible, Sakura struggled her way back to her feet. This was her chance, her window of opportunity to save Sasuke. Nothing else mattered, nothing, but now that she had this chance… Sakura couldn't think of what to say, what could* she say, Ino wouldn't listen to her or believe her.

But this was her last desperate hope and Sakura moved closer, mouth working futilely trying to find the words to explain. Things she could say, how she could say them, nothing seemed right and…and…Sakura felt herself starting to cry… "I don't want to fight. Ino, I, I need your help. Please. I'm sor-sorry about what I did, I've hurt you and Kurenai and, and…but I couldn't…he needed me! Sasuke needed me and he's my world! I love him!"

"I would do anything for him! You have to help me." Sakura rambled, pacing restlessly, emotions swelling and growing beyond her control "Please, I-I don't know what else I can do. I've walked paths of medical knowledge that are unimaginable! I've studied branches of medicine that others discount and created monsters. Ino, Sasuke was infected with an enzyme years ago, it laid dormant until he triggered it and now…now, it's eating him alive."

"Please, he's all I have and I can't help him!" Sakura shouted, dropping to her knees as her desperation got the better of her "I've been controlling the seal through medication, but it's not working anymore. I've tried... Ino I've tried! But it's no good, I can't, it's not possible...please...Konoha can help him, can save him! PLEASE!"

"I...you..." Ino croaked out at last, voice revealing conflicting emotions as well as alerting Sakura that the Kanashibari was fading.

"It's not like I'm offering nothing!" Sakura said desperately "Help Sasuke, save him and I'll tell you everything I know of Orochimaru's plans."

"Sakura-"

"Listen to me! You get the most feared bloodline in the world back! Along with the sort of intelligence that could end the war with Oto in a matter of months, instead of years. An-and I'll tell you things to help Naruto against the Akatsuki! All I'm asking, all I want is for you to stop that seal and save Sasuke!"

Ino didn't respond and silence reigned, leaving Sakura there waiting and praying. This was her last gamble, the last card she had to play and if it failed, if she was wrong about how Ino felt for Naruto- Sakura's jaw exploded in pain as a fist connected with it. Hitting the ground Sakura rolled to the side, hand glowing for the follow up attack.

"I'm going to get Sasuke." Ino said, her tone glacial "you're safe for now, but *I* will find a way to make you pay."

"Just as long as you help Sasuke." Sakura offered weakly, lowering her hand cautiously to stand up. The pain didn't matter nothing mattered now. Because she had betrayed the most important person in her universe and he would never forgive her. But Sakura didn't have any other choice, she had to betray Sasuke.

Who knows, maybe if she kept repeating that, she might someday even believe it.

With grim determination, Sakura forced her artificial Sharingan back to life, filling her head with pain. She ignored it though, and set out after Ino, she wasn't finished yet.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke had expected it to be harder.

Naruto had forced Itachi into retreat, so the idiot shouldn't have made such a simple mistake. Sasuke didn't recognize the other ninja, but they were obviously a member of the Aburame family. A clever one too, that trick with the Kikchu had cost Sasuke a decent amount of chakra, though it had been pointless in the face of his retaliation.

That it incinerated the bugs was merely a happy side effect, after all the Chidori Nagashi only created a protective zone by attacking the nervous system of his enemies. The effect also seemed to have caused some sort of odd feedback to the Aburame, who had stood there stupidly for a moment before trying to scatter more bugs for defense. Sasuke's enhanced speed, thanks to Kabuto and Sakura's experiments had turned that into a joke and he could have finished the Aburame off with a basic Chidori.

Which was when Naruto revealed his stupidity.

Naruto had moved from the ceiling to knock the Aburame aside, while reaching out to grab Sasuke's forearm and deflect the lightning. Sasuke had to admit the speed was impressive, the boy had mastered the Shunshin no Jutsu that could've almost rivaled Shisui, and the fact he had figured out a way to actually deflect the Chidori was even more impressive. However, Sasuke had no problem shifting a portion of the lightning chakra to his Kusanagi already plunging upward, and it slid smoothly between the fourth and fifth rib, and out his back.

Naruto jerked from the blow with a cry of pain, grabbing the lightning infused blade with a hand as his body went limp. Sasuke jerked his arm to clear the body from his sword, but found that he couldn't. A second later dark red chakra exploded from Naruto, and Sasuke flinched back as fingernails turned claws raked his face, leaving searing pain and blood in its wake.

He blinked away the pain, backing up even more, thankful that the claws had missed his eyes though it was close. A second later, a blistering heat sweeping through the air, and Sasuke turned his attention back to Naruto. With a slow, methodical motion, Naruto began to pull the sword free, boiling red chakra flittering across his body.

The blade came free a moment later, coated in hissing blood, and Naruto stumbled like a poorly controlled marionette. The red chakra slowed, tightening its presence into a near second skin, as a new presence flittered across Sasuke's senses. Something malevolent, predatory and ancient.

_**"You shouldn't have done that Sasuke..."**_ Naruto growled, lifting his head to stare at Sasuke with blood red eyes with elongated irises _**"Because things just got a whole lot worse for you." **_

Sasuke blinked out of his stupor, as Naruto lifted his arm and leveled Kusanagi at him. Sasuke started forming seals as his Sharingan recorded the sadistic smirk filling Naruto's face. Sasuke was forming the last seal for a barrier technique he'd copied from Orochimaru when Naruto released the sword and uttered two words.

_**"Fūton: Reppushou." **_

* * *

Naruto watched as the sword left his hand and plunge into Sasuke, sending him hurtling backward from the force of the blow. A moment later Sasuke hit the wall, which exploded outward from the blast of wind. Grimacing Naruto forced the Kyūbi chakra into remission, swearing softly about still being unable to control his techniques better using its chakra.

Ugh, now he had to figure out a way to explain the tainted chakra that had escaped him. Maybe he could blame it on Sasuke, or some of those freaky experiments. Naruto suddenly whirled around at a noise, and found Nisei scattering his chakra dots into the hallway, and Naruto winced.

"My family will handle this...spill." Nisei said, not looking at him. But it was clear the way he had used the word 'spill' that Nisei knew about the Kyūbi, how Naruto didn't know, but he knew and he was going to help keep it quiet. Shaking his head, Naruto turned back to the immediate situation; he needed to ensure that Sasuke was dead.

Creating a Kage Bunshin, Naruto started for the hole at a run, hand reaching out as he and the Clone began forming chakra. Reaching the missing wall, they jumped, sailing forward before descending toward the target. Naruto almost forgot everything as the wind rushed past him, it almost felt like flying and he desperately wanted that.

If Ero-sennin would have taught him more than the basics of Senjutsu, Naruto felt he could fly. Then the Kage Bunshin disappeared and Naruto could hear the high-pitched whine of the Rasen Shuriken. A wordless scream escaped him, which was lost in the rushing wind, as he wrenched his arm forward to deliver death to his enemy.

The Rasen Shuriken connected with a flash of blinding light, expanding outward rapidly growing in size and destructive wind. Naruto held on for as long as he could before the force threw him clear, and he hit the ground hard, rolling to his feet. Naruto flexed his hand as the familiar heat of his healing kicked in.

As the massive dome of wind finally faded away, he breathed a little easier. At least until Naruto spotted a body on the far edge of the crater, struggling to get up. Naruto felt a flare of anger and disbelief, the Rasen Shuriken should have ripped him to shreds… the only possibility this was that Sasuke had managed to move before the attack reached him, but it looked like he wasn't unharmed.

Naruto was beginning to gather the chakra for a Rasengan, preparing to jump and deliver the finishing blow when the back of Sasuke split open and a new Sasuke emerged. Naruto blinked, the chakra scattering as his attention lapsed, that was a new trick but he shouldn't be surprised since Sasuke had spent the last two years as Orochimaru's pet.

"So, you're finally showing yourself as the monster you are." Sasuke said, reaching his feet, holding his body rigid.

Naruto smirked, looked like the trick wasn't quite as foolproof as it should have been. Starting around the edge of the crater, Naruto eyed the other carefully for any other surprises. That little escape had to have taken a lot of Sasuke and even with his little trick, the way he held his body said he was still in pain.

"Hey Sasuke, remember three years ago, what you said in our match?" Naruto asked, hopefully to distract Sasuke from when he moved "about showing me the true power of the Sharingan? I'm still waiting to see it."

"You want to see the true power of the Sharingan?" Sasuke said, actually closing his eyes as black flames started to creep across his flesh once more. Naruto attacked in that instant, crossing the distance with a Shunshin before jumping to catch Sasuke in the back of the neck with a spinning round kick.

Landing Naruto shot after the somersaulting form, firing off kunai and shuriken. Feet touching down Sasuke slid to a stop and flung his arm forward, unleashing a horde of snakes, to which Naruto formed two rapid seals unleashing a 'Fūton: Byōbu'. A second later, the snakes slammed into the barrier of wind, with such force that they exploded in smoke.

Sasuke, undeterred, was already unleashing a massive fireball. Dodging to the right, Naruto hit the ground and rolled coming back to his feet, unleashing a Kaze no Yiba at a now empty space. Sensing something to his left, Naruto shifted his attention toward it and found an even larger mass of snake slithering toward him.

Jumping in time with a burst of wind beneath his feet, Naruto twisted in the air and unleashed a Kaze no Funkei, severing the heads from the snakes with wind. Coming out of his twist, Naruto spotted a blast of lightning and created a clone which pulled him out of the path and sent him racing back to the ground.

Touching down, Naruto wasted no time in springing toward his opponent only to have the fight interrupted by a massive tree that sail between them. Naruto managed to twist his body aside to avoid the impact, and coming around he immediately sought its source, but found only Ino who was sheathing her sword.

Confused Naruto whirled back to Sasuke, only to find Sakura and Sasuke in an embrace. Naruto could only stare, a sense of numbness washing over him. It didn't matter that Sakura dropped to the ground, cradling Sasuke's now unconscious form, what mattered was that Ino had stopped the fight to help Sakura and Sasuke. Naruto felt numb at the concept, even as she moved to stand beside him, what possible reason could Ino have for helping the girl that had hurt her so badly.

"I see we have a problem." Nisei said and Naruto glanced at the other ninja mechanically "I've finished cleaning the spill."

"Good." Naruto said vaguely, aware that there was a lot going on. Not that he could process it; his mind was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that Ino had stopped him from killing Sasuke. A gentle tug on his arm and Naruto allowed Ino to lead him a discreet distance away from the other three.

Turning to face her, trying to figure out how to ask the questions he wanted to, Naruto forgot about it. Once he saw Ino, he read her posture and there was nothing good about it, her muscles were taut and her eyes hard. Everything else suddenly seemed so unimportant that he asked the exact opposite thing that he wanted to. "Are you ok?"

"No..." Ino said an in an even tone "well, physically at least I'm fine, I twisted my ankle. Emotionally? I'm probably due for the ICU in Konoha Hospital."

"Ah," Naruto managed, pleased for that and then his eyes darted back to the two missing ninja "So Sakura and Sasuke?"

"It's...complicated."

"Complicated? Why'd that bastard rated a rescue?" Naruto asked, unable to help the sharp edge to his tone. He wanted to turn Sasuke into a greasy smear, badly. Sakura as well since she was the chief cause of hurting Ino.

"Sakura betrayed him. She made a deal, so I had to save his sorry ass."

"Deal?" Naruto asked in confusion, mind fumbling over the concept of Sakura betraying Sasuke. It just seemed, so, well unbelievable…she must have been desperate. The kind of desperate that made parents sell daughters into prostitution, or made people turn to cannibalism in order to survive.

"I really don't-" Ino started, and then staring at him sighed "I can't really explain. I, I didn't want to, but it's just, Naruto...I put you before my duty as an ANBU and I don't know, I'm confused and angry and - mpffh!"

Ino went rigid for a whole second, caught off guard by the unexpected kiss before she gave in. Naruto broke the kiss a moment later, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, as did Ino. She gave him a somewhat questioning look and he scratched the back of his head, trying to decide on how to explain why he had done that, but honestly, the only answer he could think of was because he wanted to.

"So that's your brother, Karin?" a new voice said, startling Naruto and Ino into whirling. The owner of said voice, a boy with white hair and a plain face, stepped into view. His lanky frame, covered with a sleeveless tunic and baggy pants, seemed secondary to the two sword hilts on his back.

"Shut up Suigetsu!" The red headed woman said, striding out of the forest as well, her gaze darkening as she glared at him. Naruto stared back placidly, her hatred was clear, but Naruto felt a tad more uncertain about the situation. They were family, if only by the same mother and he couldn't exactly hate her for joining up with Orochimaru, it would be like hating Anko.

Suigetsu grumbled something before giving a fanged smile at Ino "So you're the Hitokiri I've been hearing about huh?"

"Yeah," Ino shot back, shifting away from Naruto ever so slightly "what about it?"

"Nothing," Suigetsu snickered before his eyes turned to Naruto "I actually have something to ask your boyfriend there."

"Excuse me," Karin interjected heatedly "I'm the one that's got-"

"Will you be quiet?"

"Look you fish-faced bastard-"

Naruto blinked, sharing a look with an equally confused Ino, before looking back at the now arguing pair. Ok, this not only made no sense it also made him a little uncomfortable. Then he heard Ino snort in amusement and looked at her, finding the girl struggling to keep from laughing outright, when she noticed this she did start laughing.

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked, bewildered.

"Those two," Ino managed between laughs "they remind me of my cousin and his wife. They always argue like that!"

"Oh." Naruto said, before snickering as well. At least until Karin lunged at Ino, while a hook sword whistling through the air toward Naruto's neck. Pivoting quickly, Naruto spun out of its path, then jumped back as he registered a second one following its path. Landing with a skid, Naruto retrieved a pair of kunai and settled into a comfortable fighting stance.

This person knew how to use those odd hook swords.

Suigetsu lunged, kicking up dirt, a thrust for his stomach from the right. Blocking, Naruto swung his left hand wide trying to bury the kunai into the man's head, but instead a hooked tip tore through his arm from a sudden slash. Kicking the bastard in the stomach, Naruto put some distance between them, grimacing.

Damn, this bastard didn't just know how to use those swords but he had a lot of power behind those blows. He didn't want to think about how much force the man had to generate to cut his arm like that. Thankfully, the otherwise mortal wound healed quickly, leaving him able to continue fighting not that Naruto wanted to do that for long.

"Not bad," Suigetsu said, adjusting the grip of his sword with a twirl "I had heard that about three years ago you fought Zabuza but I wasn't sure."

"You mentioned something about a question for me?" Naruto asked, trying to stall so he could figure out how to proceed. This whole fight seemed to come out of nowhere; there was no logical reason for Suigetsu and Karin to turn up like this.

"Yeah, about Zabuza's sword." Suigetsu said, his smile revealing several sharp teeth "I'm trying to collect all seven swords from the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. So when Karin told me about you and how you apparently fought Zabuza-sempai, I figured this would be a good time to add another to my collection."

"What about the others?"

"I haven't been able to locate the last three living members, so no luck there. Yamine Hachi and Gisei Make passed their swords on to their apprentices, so they'll be my last stop." Suigetsu explained with a shrug, before crossing the swords in front of his chest "So, what'd you do with Zabuza-sempai's sword?"

"You mean a big cleaver-looking sword? Could cut a horse in half, weighed a ton, came close to gutting me on several occasions?" Naruto asked, almost grinning, wondering what to tell the shark-toothed bastard. Obviously, he couldn't reveal that he had gotten it melted down during his training trip and made into Ino's new sword this nut job would go after her then.

"That's the one."

"Oh, well I-" Naruto started to say, intent on telling the swordsman he had tossed it in the river, when an unfamiliar voice shouted an order to retreat. Head snapping around, Naruto saw Karin retreating into the nearby forest alongside a man with an orange mask carrying a body over his shoulder. That came secondary to the fact that he could see Ino on the ground and she didn't seem to be moving-

Naruto shot toward her with all of his speed, a cold dread wrapping itself around his heart.

Reaching her side, he dropped to his knees with a skid, frantically rolling Ino onto her back and feeling for a pulse. For a full minute Naruto didn't breath, couldn't breathe, because he couldn't find her pulse...but there, he found it! Naruto thanked every deity he could think of, because Ino was alive.

Relief flooding through him, he began checking Ino over, trying to find a wound. He couldn't find any, so why was she lying there looking so helpless? Was she just knocked out, she had to be knocked out. A moment later the fear that had consumed him was gone, burning away before the heated intensity of his anger: Karin.

Naruto would kill her, he would rip her limb from limb. He was up and moving once more, heading for the forest, when hands grabbed his shoulder and arm, redirecting his momentum. Hitting the ground hard, Naruto growled, twisting his free hand into position to leverage his body up until a knee was placed firmly in the middle of his back, pinning his captured hand there as well as making it hard to breath.

"Uzumaki-sama, please calm down. We will handle this."

He didn't recognize the voice, but from his position, he saw several ANBU entering the forest. He wanted to protest, but he didn't, he grunted a noise of acceptance and as the weight eased off him cautiously, he turned back to Ino and found Hanabi hovering next to an ANBU kneeling, running glowing hands over Ino's prone form.

* * *

AN:

1) There shouldn't be any missing words but you never know. I also tried to address the issues others brought up, hopefully I have. Anyway, unless there's a large plot hole somewhere, I probably won't reedit this chapter again.

2)You know, those swords Raiga used weren't Hook Swords. They actually more closely resemble a set of swords known as Jī Zhuǎ Lián, which directly translates to 'Chicken-Claw Sickle'.

I wanted to use 'Chicken-Claw', but I knew that if I did then I'd get a bunch of reviews asking what the hell I was talking about. So I used the term hook sword...but man, Chicken-Claw Sickle sounds so much cooler.


	27. Chapter 25: Lightning Strikes

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 25:  
_-Lightning Strikes-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

Leaning back in his chair, the Godaime sighed, studying the two teams with a detached interest. The ANBU exuded an air of control that only lifetime professionals could possess, making the readability of the Inuzuka Tsume led team much more pronounced. Especially Hyūga Hinata who stood near the door, looking pensive, but the Hokage couldn't address that right now.

Glancing at the clock on his wall, Kakashi fought the urge to sigh again. Naruto was probably at the hospital, checking up on Ino. Meaning the young man would turn up soon, demanding answers, and the Hokage wanted to avoid pointless arguing. He needed to finish this meeting and post orders that he was under no circumstances barring an emergency to be disturbed for the rest of the day.

"So?" Kakashi asked finally, half-turning to the ANBU.

"Both my team and Inuzuka-san's search resulted in the same conclusion." The ANBU Captain said without looking at him.

"How complete was the search?" Kakashi asked after a moment, turning his attention to Tsume.

"A dust mote wouldn't have escaped our attention." Tsume said firmly, glancing ominously at the ANBU Captain.

"Hokage-sama, we are all in agreement with the initial search that the ANBU not restraining Uzumaki-san performed." The Aburame said, with Hinata nodding slightly to support his words "whoever rescued the Uchiha managed to disappear without a trace."

"Very well," Kakashi said closing his eye, before looking at them again "thank you. Payment should be deposited in your accounts by the end of the day."

There was a chorus of accepting noises before they left, and the Godaime sighed slumping in his chair. Kakashi made a mental note to get in touch with Hinata later, there was something bothering her, but that would have to wait. Akatsuki seemed to have taken an interest in Sasuke, and worse the agent sent was teamed up with Karin, one of Orochimaru's chief lieutenants.

Reaching over, he retrieved the thin folder he'd requested from the Intel records department. Opening the folder he found a grainy picture and a few sentences, now that he looked she did bare a resemblance to Kushina, of course that could just be a trick of the mind. Kakashi checked the age, one or two years older than Naruto from estimates, so it would be possible, but he wasn't going to jump to conclusions.

Closing the folder, the Hokage decided he would have to take steps to confirm or deny the chance. The problem though, would be getting someone deep enough into Oto controlled territory so they could gather the information he wanted. The ANBU he trusted were fewer each day and the Kage Sitei were already in play in other positions.

A moment later he remembered Anko, the woman was on a long range-scouting mission behind enemy lines. There was the issue of her missing her last report; normally Anko was diligent with checking in. The reports weren't important outside of the fact that they were simply a way to reassure him that she was still alive.

Of course, Anko wasn't like the others he'd lost in previous wars; she could take care of herself. He carefully ignored the fact that his father, Obito (crybaby though he was) and everyone else he cared about could as well. Closing his eye, the Hokage tried to ease the knot of unease forming around his heart, but it wouldn't let up.

Worry getting the better of him, Kakashi pulled a sheet of paper out and finding a pen drafted a quick message to Jiraiya asking the man to establish contact with Anko. Admittedly, he had his own reasons for being out of the village, Akatsuki and 'research', but the Sannin would make it a point to check up on Anko if he got the message before he came back to Konoha.

Kakashi paused, studying the message; did it convey the proper aloofness to convince the older man that Kakashi didn't have a relationship with Anko? Probably not, and Kakashi decided he didn't care, all he wanted right then was to confirm that she wasn't dead or in Orochimaru's clutches. Rolling it up and sealing it, he set it aside; he'd send it when he left his non-disturbance orders.

Selecting his pen, he scratched his name out for the orders to send troops to the borders in preparation for the expected assault from Tsuchi no Kuni. That done, he jotted down a quick note on where to find the funds to build temporary labs, and decided to duck out for lunch before meeting the new candidate for the leader of Ne that Tenzou had selected.

Kakashi would have preferred to remove the group all together, but it wouldn't affect Unity. Besides, he thought he might be able reject Tenzou's candidate and put his own agent into power. He would need a good reason to reject them, but it shouldn't be too hard to find something-

"THOSE BASTARDS!" Tsunade suddenly bellowed, jolting him almost out of his chair as the door to his office slammed open, leaving an indention in the wall, before it slammed shut with a sharp crack.

"Uh..."

"Well?" Tsunade snapped, stomping toward him, eyes blazing in fury. The Godaime quite naturally cringed back in response, eying the apparently berserker Sannin. Coming to a stop, she planted her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Yes?"

"I want 'em dead!"

"Uhm, just who do you want dead?" Kakashi asked, while bracing for the storm.

"Unity!" Tsunade growled ominously, eyes narrowing dangerously "Do you have any idea what they did at that lab?"

"No. That's why I asked you to go." Kakashi said, praying she wouldn't take his sarcasm as an excuse to go postal.

"Well let me tell you, they were trying to follow up on Orochimaru's old research."

"What?" Kakashi asked startled, mind racing at the implications. He had known Unity would go to great lengths to achieve power, but this was, well it went beyond the pale. It was bad enough they had infiltrated a secure medical research lab, but to try to follow up on that twisted man's research was breeching every moral code that Konoha could even attempt to claim.

"You heard me. A predominate theme in the files involved Cursed Seals." Tsunade grated out, her countenance darkening "I'd say that's just the tip of the iceberg. So I want 'em dead, or ten minutes alone with their leader."

"I'm afraid that isn't possible." Kakashi said, shaking his head "we know of certain members and we have them under surveillance but the real leadership is still shrouded in secrecy. That's why I haven't pushed harder, if we don't take out the leadership then we only drive them deeper underground."

"Fine." Tsunade relented, her eyes narrowed "but when you do get them I want first crack."

"Deal." Kakashi agreed, pleased to resolve this without getting killed. "How is Ino-san doing? Last I heard she was stable but other than that..."

"She's the same, I think. Normally Shizune would…" Tsunade paused, her loss clear in her eyes, before continuing, "Considering what little there was to work on, the girl should be fine. The ANBU medic helped out with her emergency treatment, and I'm glad to see you had enough common sense to listen to that suggestion."

"Well, you've always been very vocal about it." Kakashi beamed happily, trying to get the unstable woman out of his office without too much collateral damage "beauty and intelligence, Jiraiya-sama is a lucky man."

"Nice try Kakashi," Tsunade said sourly "but I'm too old for flattery to work. Now then, I'm going to go study the kinjutsu experiments that my wayward apprentice applied to herself."

"Ah," Kakashi said, breathing easier as the statuesque woman strode out of the office. Slumping in his seat, the white haired man found himself envying Jiraiya his ability to escape from that woman. At least she had listened to reason, getting into a fight with her would not be a brilliant idea.

Glancing at the clock, he stood heading for his door; he had ten minutes to post his orders and get lunch.

* * *

_Otogakure no Sato..._

Anko woke up with a dull throb coursing through every inch of her body, prompting Anko to bury her face in the pillow. Groaning she tried to block it out and go back to sleep, but when that failed, she grabbed the covers, pulling them over her head in the attempt. Not that it helped.

Fuck, might as well face the fact that she was awake…and naked?

Anko frowned at that, puzzling over her memories in an attempt to remember why exactly she wasn't wearing clothes. She didn't remember drinking anything strong enough to make her strip, but at least the bed was empty. Sitting up discarding the cover, the Tokubetsu Jōnin scanned her room; it was typical, no outstanding features outside of a battered desk and wooden door.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed; Anko hissed as her back and ribs protested the sudden movement. Leaning forward, hands on either side for support, she closed her eyes to concentrate on her breathing. Once the pain subsided, Anko tried to remember anything prior to waking up.

Her memory was largely blank spots, but the more she concentrated the more she could remember: dodging a lightning attack to her back just enough to avoid a lethal strike, hitting the ground cracking her ribs and a thighbone. Opening her eyes, head throbbing, Anko felt some relief to know why her body hurt so damn much.

Still, it would be nice to remember more.

"Oh, you're awake!" A male voice said and Anko reacted on instinct.

Springing to her feet, hand shooting forward as a swarm of snakes exploded outward. Her aim went wide and the snakes struck the walls and floor, missing the intruder by a foot. Stumbling, Anko caught her weight against the nearby wall, only vaguely noticing the white haired young man studying her body with a medic's eye.

Balance regained, she stood up proudly, staring levelly back at the bespectacled man.

Noticing this, he smiled cheerfully holding up a folded pile of clothes. "I didn't mean to startle you Anko-sama. You've been out for several days and I expected you to be out for even longer, you suffered some extensive damage after all."

"What the hell happened?" Anko asked, motioning for him to toss her the clothes.

"Hm, Orochimaru-sama did mention this might happen with that jutsu."

"Orochimaru…" Anko murmured, sorting through the clothes before pulling the dark pants up "I…I remember, something but I don't-"

"It's a Ninjutsu he created, similar to a technique my old master used on his spies." Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses "Only instead of erasing your memories concerning Orochimaru, the Seitoku Heitei no Jutsu allowed the 'real' you to pass undetected while retaining your memories."

"Well at least that explains why I'm having trouble with my memory." Anko muttered, pulling on the white sleeveless top.

"I'm Kabuto," He said, adjusting his glasses "Orochimaru-sama's personal physician and right hand man."

"Kabuto. Right." Anko said, the name triggering a memory "Kakashi got his panties in a twist when Ino turned back up with info about you being a spy for Oto."

Kabuto shrugged, motioning for her to sit in the chair. Anko raised an eyebrow and Kabuto sighed inaudibly before explaining, "I need to check on your recovery. That's part of the reason why I came by, the other reason-"

"The clothes." Anko interrupted, sitting, tensing as his hands touched her shoulders "So what exactly happened to my old ones?"

"I had to use them as part of the plan to fake your death. You took a lightning bolt to the back before Orochimaru-sama woke you up, and since we wanted Konoha to know that Kumo was getting involved as well as believe you dead, there had to be as much evidence as possible."

Anko grunted, closing her eyes as she felt the medical jutsu work its way deep into her muscles. She wasn't surprised that they would fake her death, knowing Orochimaru she could guess his reasons for doing so. The knowledge of Kumo getting involved in the war would panic Konoha, her death would throw the Hokage into personal chaos, and he needed a personal bodyguard he could trust implicitly.

Since Sasuke had killed the last one, Kimimaro, in his escape and while Kabuto was a doctor and _probably_ the most trusted Lieutenant, he would not be up to the task. The only real question that bugged Anko was why her sensei would wake her up now. Something big had to have changed to prompt his decision to release the 'Seitoku Heitei'.

Concentrating on the technique, Anko tried to summon up any of her memories to discover a clue as to why.

_"Yes. You still have things to learn, but to do that you have to be trusted, and the only way for you have any trust is to 'betray' me and to pass all of their interrogations." _

_"I think it's time you came back to me. It took you a little longer than I thought though, but I think you've learned your last lesson."_

Anko frowned, turning those two phrases repeatedly; obviously, the answer lay in whatever final lesson she was to learn. However, there was no way to tell what the lesson had been, but she got the impression it had been an important one. Something that she had failed to learn before Orochimaru put her under the 'Seitoku Heitei'.

"Your body seems to be recovering nicely," Kabuto said, intruding in her thoughts "the Heaven Seal seems especially helpful."

"Heaven Seal?" Anko asked, mind flashing to the cursed seal that she had been unable to - _It rushed through her, burned and numbed, leaving her awash in the mind-altering feeling of complete power and domination_- "that's why he woke me up. I finally had a reason to seek the power."

"What was that Anko-sama?"

"Nothing." Anko said quickly, glancing back at the man, knowing he had heard her perfectly well. "So, what am I supposed to do now?"

"Hmm," Kabuto offered, holding out an Oto forehead protector "Well, it's a little early still but Orochimaru wants to make use of you as his personal guard. If you're interested of course, it has been a long time and feelings change."

"Mind games won't work with me Kabuto." Anko said, taking the forehead protector as she stood. Tying it in place, she smirked patting his cheek "I think too much like _my_ Orochi-chan. Now I assume this place has dango?"

"Of course."

"Great!" Anko chirped happily.

* * *

_Konoha..._

Kurenai felt the stares almost the instant she entered the neighborhood that the Inuzuka clan claimed, it was unusual for one person of another clan to enter another Clan's area. The founders of Konoha understood clan paranoia; until the Shodai and Nidaime envisioned Konoha, all the clans had distrusted one another. That was why each clan had been given whole neighborhoods (the Hyūga and Uchiha got five and four respectively) to themselves.

Kurenai however, knew the stares had a bit more to them besides long standing clan traditions. The Inuzuka, much like the dogs they worked with, were protective of one another and two days ago, she had left Inuzuka Kiba at the mercy of a blazing fire. Never mind that she had done so with confidence that an ANBU team would arrive soon, or that Akamaru was alive to take care of him, or that she had done so only in the hopes of stopping two monsters that had once been her students.

So, they were quite naturally alert to her presence and slightly hostile, but it didn't bother her. What did bother her was that her primary reason for leaving him so vulnerable had ended in a spectacular failure. By the time she arrived the ANBU were securing the scene, while a medic prepped the wounded for departure and Uzumaki Naruto looked equal parts homicidal and worried.

Coming to a stop at a large, but not ostentatious, house, she paused looking at the dogs stretched out in the yard. Akamaru was stretched out on his side, while beside laid a slightly smaller blue and white dog with a black eye patch over his right eye. Both, unsurprisingly, were staring at her expectantly, if somewhat neutrally.

"Akamaru," Kurenai said before addressing the other dog "Kuromaru."

"Yūhi-san," Kuromaru said his human voice odd as ever "what brings you by?"

"I wanted to see how Kiba-san was doing." Kurenai said, shrugging slightly "Can you see if it's ok?"

"Wait here," Kuromaru said with a snort, before with a stretch he got up and padding to the door nudged it open disappearing inside.

Kurenai let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding; the Jōnin had expected a polite rebuff. Of course that could still happen, but at least things seemed somewhat hopeful. Not that she had anything to say, what could she say after all, but she wanted to make sure he was ok.

"Yūhi-san," a feminine voice said, a bit coolly, and coming out of her thoughts Kurenai found Inuzuka Hana walking toward her while Kuromaru trailed behind her before laying out in the shade of the house.

"Hana-san," Kurenai returned, stiffly.

The younger girl came to a stop in front of her, arms crossed. Kurenai stood there, equally silent staring back, wondering what was going on. Finally the Inuzuka relented, turning slightly, gesturing toward the house with her head "Well come on, Kiba's in the kitchen."

"So he's ok?" Kurenai asked, not moving.

"Yeah, a minor concussion, a few bumps and bruises." Hana said glancing at her expectantly "Are you coming inside or not?"

"I just came to see if he was ok."

A beat.

"Trying to soothe that guilty conscious huh?" Hana shot back "Well he's ok, a bit upset. Not that you care, but anyway, I'll let him know you came by."

"It's not...I don't have a guilty conscience," Kurenai protested somewhat weakly "I was worried. He was my student and he's a friend."

"Yeah, he was," Hana returned arching an eyebrow "funny thing about your students, bad things seem to happen to them. Look at the Uchiha, and Haruno your prized students, I personally think the best thing that ever happened to Kiba was him making Chūnin."

"I was proud of him-"

"Sure you were, and it had nothing to do with the fact that you could abandon him completely for Haruno right?" Hana interrupted curtly, a hint of hostility in her tone "he won't say it, but that hurt him pretty bad. Being treated as an afterthought by his sensei, but he's like a beaten dog licking his master's hand."

"Now wait just a damn minute!" Kurenai snapped, riling "Sakura was the first Shinobi in her family! Kiba had a whole emClan! Maybe I did go overboard, maybe it turned out bad, but I **did not** abandon him!"

"Is that right?"

"Damn right that's right!" Kurenai hissed angrily, eyes narrowing "I gave him the only thing he needed from me, a woman that didn't sabotage him or try to run his life. I've heard all the stories about you and Tsume, so you just keep that in mind."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Hana said a tad defensive, glaring back at her.

"You don't?" Kurenai asked with mock sweetness "I guess you forgot the way you flat out told him to stop wasting your time whenever he asked you to show him an advanced technique. If you want I could tell you about the time you intentionally mis-taught him."

"It's none of your business how I teach him Clan techniques!" Hana said hotly, looking more feral than should be humanly possible.

"We'll I've made it my business!" Kurenai angrily hissed, prompting the Inuzuka dogs to lift their heads and stare at them intently "I may have misjudged Sakura and Sasuke, but I _know_ how to teach! What you did to him wasn't teaching, you tried to destroy him!"

"I'm not going to stand here and listen to this from a second-rate has-been!" Hana shouted her face darkening in anger.

"You should be careful what you say, Hana-kouhai." Kurenai said, her tone deathly cold, "I am not as nice as I used to be. I might just prove some of those rumors about you and the kennels with a Genjutsu."

"Bitch."

"I'll see Kiba-kun later, but thanks for letting me know he's ok." Kurenai said, completely disregarding the other woman's anger. It would come back to haunt her, Kurenai was sure of that, but right now she didn't care. She'd found out what she needed to know and everything else could fall were it would.

Turning, Kurenai set off back down the street, leaving Hana standing there.

* * *

Besshu Nisei could sense a headache looming, and unfortunately, he both knew the cause of it and could do nothing to stop it. His girlfriend, Keiko, was busy chattering away about her day at work while they strolled along. Now, while Keiko was an attractive young woman –black hair, pale blue eyes, fair skin and an healthy figure- her voice left something to be desired.

Unfortunately, she was not inclined to alter it.

It was a mystery in some ways, even now after the last two years, how she had developed the ability to use her chakra to bind dirt and clay together to create a human form. Even after a great deal of time experimenting with different body types, she had finally settled on her current lovely form –which she felt Nisei deserved-, but one that was incapable of projecting how she really sounded. Hence, her voice sounded like a mixture between a badly damaged larynx and a high-pitched chipmunk.

Most people marked it off as an injury from when she was younger, which she accepted and allowed to go uncorrected. It did leave her uncomfortable in public and around people, making it hard to find a job, until she had found her new job playing a Nohkan flute for a Kabuki theater in the village. This explained why Keiko was excitedly chattering to Nisei in the first place as they made their way back to the theater after their lunch date.

"Ni-chan, are you listening to me?" Keiko suddenly asked and he had to fight the urge to protest the pet name.

"Yes dear," Nisei said, glancing at her "you said the theater director-"

"Ichikawa-sama." Keiko corrected firmly.

"Ichikawa-san," Nisei said, rolling his eyes while ignoring her glare "praised your playing and couldn't believe you were dating a ninja."

"Well Ichikawa-sama actually said 'he couldn't believe that such a delicate lily as myself could date a blood-"

"Bloodstained assassin, who cares not for the reason why he kills or for whom, only that he brings a sure and everlasting death." Nisei finished blandly, then sensing her surprise glanced at her, "It was from a very popular play a few years ago."

"Then why was he saying it to me?" Keiko asked, pouting, even as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Because you're beautiful, and he wants very much to pluck the lily." Nisei offered, prompting an annoyed huff from his girlfriend.

They continued the walk in silence, her leaning against him, and Nisei wrapped up in his thoughts. He had visited Ino yesterday, not that she had known, but he had missed Naruto. According to what he had over heard from a few office workers, Naruto had been busy ranting at the Hokage about the medical lab and about if Tsunade had told them anything.

Nisei almost grimaced; he did not even want to think about what was going on inside Naruto. Girlfriend put in the hospital by his step-sister Karin, who was working for Orochimaru and a medical lab that had clearly been performing forbidden experiments. Along with the fact that whatever deal Ino had made with Sakura had went up in smoke with the loss of Sasuke to a mysterious member of Akatsuki, a mysterious group that seemed intent on hunting Naruto down.

Naruto had a lot of rage and hostility pent up inside him; it was amazing that he was keeping it together.

"I'll see you later tonight." Keiko suddenly said, and Nisei came out of his thoughts as she turned to give him a hug. He returned it, quickly noting that they had reached the theater. Stepping back, she smiled and then turning hurried toward the others who were filing inside.

Hands in his pockets, Nisei watched her as he disappeared inside. Shaking his head, the former Root member turned away heading down a side street. A left and then a right out of habit brought him into the area outside the Hokage Tower, and when he realized his route sighed.

Not that he really had any place else to go or do; besides he had as much chance of catching Naruto here as he did at the hospital. A moment later he realized the odds were actually greater when Naruto came storming out the front doors, an ANBU escorting him. Moving to intercept his agitated teammate, Nisei wondered what was going on.

"Naruto-san, is there a problem?"

"Nisei," Naruto grunted, glancing at the other boy before gesturing at the tower and the ANBU standing outside the door eying him "They kicked me out."

"Why?"

"Apparently the Hokage left special orders not to be disturbed." Naruto almost growled, before turning away and setting off in a dark slouch, hands in pockets. Nisei fell into step alongside him, if for no other reason than to offer some kind of companionship, which turned out to be wise as Naruto continued in a hushed tone. "We need to talk."

"Do you have some place in mind?" Nisei asked, knowing that Naruto more than likely did. This proved accurate as Naruto made a sharp right turn, entering a maze of alleys and side streets, before they came to stop several minutes later. Nisei had not been there personally, but he knew it anyway, this was the area that Naruto had fought Gaara in three years ago.

Even after the clearing of rubble, and repairs made, there was no doubt this was the seedier part of Konoha.

"Come on." Naruto muttered after a moment, leading Nisei into a dark alley before jimmying the lock on a door that led down a flight of steps to a dirty basement. A quick search confirmed it to be empty and a few Kage Bunshin scattered outside to stand watch, leaving the two ninja alone in a tense silence.

"So, how did you find out about the damn fox?" Naruto asked after a moment, arms crossed.

"I didn't 'find out' so much as I put clues together." Nisei said shrugging "It started a little before the Kumo-iki, my family was goaded by your chakra into a 'feeding frenzy'. Following whatever changes that brought about within them, the Kumo-iki seemed to speed up… my family was evolving and my connection to the Aburame hive was falling silent. After that I procured the family history, the real one, and found that there were two previous instances of this happening."

"Did they involve demons?" Naruto asked, relaxing his posture.

"Yes. The first instance was during the Second Shinobi War, after repeated encounters with the Jinchūriki of the Hachibi. The second time was immediately after the Kyūbi attacked Konoha seventeen years ago." Nisei said, then seeing Naruto's look shrugged "the Aburame Hive took steps to exterminate them before they evolved too far. It is only now that I'm beginning to understand why, whatever the Kikaichū were before they joined into the alliance with the Aburame; they were not normal animal familiars."

"So what, you think they were demon bugs?" Naruto asked, sounding torn between amusement and annoyance.

"Possibly," Nisei allowed, inclining his head "though they are not malicious. And to answer your original question, once I learned of the two previous instances, it was no great leap of logic to figure it out."

"I see." Naruto said, his eyes studying him intently while his body shifted position into a more guarded posture. "So… now what? I mean you covered for me after the fight, but I need to know where we stand."

"We stand as we always did." Nisei said "Team mates and friends. Also, you need to tell Ino and Hanabi soon, because this secret is going to get harder to keep."

"I know. A few ANBU know by now along with a couple of Clan Heads, or at least that's what Masked-Perv said last time we talked." Naruto agreed, nodding faintly "I was planning on telling Ino when she wakes up."

"Ah," Nisei agreed, then realizing they had run out of things to discuss scratched his cheek "then perhaps you should return to the hospital and wait on her to do so?"

"Sounds like a plan." Naruto agreed, moving past him toward the stairs.

* * *

Every time Ino returned to consciousness, it was always by a different sense waking up first. The first time, back with the Kumo-iki, it had been the sense of hearing. The time after facing Kurosuki Raiga, it had been taste and now it was touch. Long before Ino became aware of being awake, she felt the hand holding hers.

It was rough, strong, and warm. The fingers intertwined with hers, clasping, holding, as if making sure she didn't leave. Not that Ino could even entertain such a thought, after all the rest of her body felt weak and numb. But she didn't mind so much, because as irrational as it was, Ino knew the hand holding hers belonged to Naruto.

Her hearing returned next and she could hear his breathing, rhythmic, shallow, sounded like he was asleep. When her sense of smell returned it told her about the anti-septic scent that belonged to the hospital and made his stand out. A weak smile tugged at her lips, a great comfort washing over her as her mind painted the image with each new sensation.

It was marred briefly when she had her first rational thought, namely that of _why_ she was in a hospital. Her weary brain rattled around for several long minutes before supplying a fragmentary image. Karin, face twisted in rage and Ino felt a shudder run through her as she realized what had happened: This is what she got for hesitating just because Karin was Naruto's blood relative.

Absently she squeezed Naruto's hand, mostly to reassure herself that she wasn't paralyzed and because it felt nice. He squeezed back, his breathing becoming irregular almost instantly, a sure sign that he had been napping. Ino couldn't help but grin, not daring to open her eyes content to merely enjoy the sensation of having the boy she cared so much about concerned for her.

"Ino-chan?" Naruto asked, his voice its own melody. She maintained her mask of sleep as best she could, though her breath hitched at a sudden weight on the bed and his breath warming her chin "Ino, you awake?"

She almost spoke up, but held her tongue as he disengaged his hand from hers and reaching up touched her lips softly with a finger.

"You know, there are stories..." Naruto whispered softly, almost cautiously "about girls, princess', that wake up when they're kissed by a prince...ever heard those Ino-hime?"

His silence seemed expectant and Ino's cheeks suddenly started burning as she opened her eyes to stare up at him. Her first thought upon seeing his wide blue eyes and handsome -to her at least- face was how beautiful it was. He stared at her in startled surprise, as if frozen by her and then the second past, his face moving toward hers for a kiss.

Unfortunately her mind chose that moment, to remember what she had learned in that fight against Karin. Jinchūriki, Bijuu devouring the souls of those they were sealed in, the Kyūbi being inside Naruto.

A tightness formed in her chest, an odd sort of pain, disappointment and confusion... reaching up she placed hand to his chest to halt any further advance from him. They stayed like that; his eyes revealing his confusion and worry, she trying to decide groggily how to proceed.

"And how is Yamanaka-" a new voice, higher pitch hinting at a woman said, as the door opened. "Ah!"

Ino darted her gaze toward the embarrassed woman while Naruto jerked back from the position he had been in, looking at the nurse as well. He muttered something and then hurried out of the room, a minute before her mom entered.

"Oh dear," the nurse muttered, looking decidedly uneasy "I interrupted something didn't I?"

"I...I don't know." Ino whispered, sitting up. Her mind whirling with knowledge and heart pounding from the emotions coursing through her. "I don't know."

* * *

Nami no Kuni was a small, unimportant country made up of twenty-four interconnected islands to form one larger mass. Its history, unsurprisingly, resembled that of the larger countries in that there had been competing lords that were eventually united by one. The final form of government however, differed in that it became a Council of Governors, all equal in power and authority.

Its one redeeming feature -as far as Hi no Kuni was concerned- was its location, which made it ideal for shipping and trading. This was the reason why, three years ago, when Nami no Kuni had asked Konoha to help protect their bridge builder, a team went. Gato had recognized the danger in crossing a major military power and upon the arrival of the ninja, he had quickly withdrawn.

After that, Hi no Kuni had become the patron of Nami no Kuni, trade was steady and nothing uneventful ever happened.

Hence, only tradition dictated the stationing of lookouts to watch the sea, instead of pressing necessity as in times long since passed. The watchman in question sat on the cliff tops on the Prefecture of Ibaraki, the north-eastern most landmass of Nami no Kuni, huddled near a fire attempting to remain warm despite the cold salt breeze from the sea.

He ate a simple meal of rice balls and ginseng tea, staring absently out over the horizon. It was by chance that he spotted the black blur on the horizon and he stood, care worn leather armor creaking slightly. Squinting, hand coming up to shield his vision, he felt a frown forming from the knowledge that the blur had to be a ship and that it was too far from the shipping lanes to be accidental.

The blur moved toward him, growing bigger, making it obvious that its destination was near his outcropping. Only that would be silly, because the area beneath his lookout position was nothing more than a glassy sand bar. Glancing away, he sought and found his binoculars and then turning back, focused on the blur far out to sea.

A sudden fear clutched his heart, there was more than one, each large enough to move many men and all bearing the standard of Kaminari no Kuni. His first instinct was to send a warning to his leader, but a hand covered his mouth and the barely noticeable feel of cool metal slicing along his throat silenced that instinct. Though he would never live to see the first Kaminari samurai set foot on Nami no Kuni, he had the dubious honor of being the first to learn that Kumo ninja were there.

He would not be the last.

* * *

_ANBU Headquarters, Interrogation and Torture Division, Corridor..._

Kaba was one of the top interrogators within the ANBU, despite his relatively young age of twenty. His unique ability that set him apart from other interrogators was his ability to identify with his subject as a person. Most could pretend to do so, but they could never genuinely do so, while Kaba could.

For that, Kaba had been fast tracked for promotion within his chosen field.

He now handled cases that interrogators his age usually only foolishly dreamed about. Now he held the file for an interrogation that he frankly felt lay beyond his ability, which was why he had sent for his trainee Hiroki. The man would act as guard and if need be, step in to finish the interrogation.

At the sound of soft-soled shoes, Kaba straightened up and turned to face the slighter taller man with the bird mask.

"Kaba-sempai."

"Hiroki-san," Kaba said motioning for the man to join him as they turned to walk down the grimy, off-white corridor illuminated by antiseptic light. After a few minutes of silence, Kaba let out a tiny breath. "Thanks for coming in. I know you're supposed to be off-duty, but I didn't want to risk using someone else."

"S'ok," Hiroki said an expectant tone in his voice.

"Roughly seventy-two hours ago, we received a missing-nin of some importance." Kaba said, handing over the thick folder he was carrying "Registration ID is 012601, name Haruno Sakura, rank Tokubetsu Jōnin. Her specialties are genjutsu and medical jutsu, both of such a high caliber that she is registered as an A-rank criminal."

"I know of her," Hiroki said blandly reading the top sheet "her turning traitor was notable after all. She and Uchiha Sasuke...speaking of which, why aren't we interrogating him?"

"Kind of hard to do that with a missing man." Kaba said dryly as they reached a checkpoint, the ANBU guards on duty patted them down and they applied his chakra to the registration seal before the guards unlocked the heavy steel door and allowed them to enter.

"Ah, he fled from Uzumaki-sama." Hiroki said, obviously just now reaching the brief mission report on her capture.

"No, he had been captured. However, three unknown accomplices rescued him, leaving Haruno incapacitated after her eyes were plucked out and Yamanaka in serious condition." Kaba expanded, his muscles tensing. "Uzumaki-sama was restrained before he could give chase."

"Ah, and the ANBU restrained him from pursuing them why?"

"Too much risk, given his state of mind at the time. He'd be alone chasing an A-rank criminal and at least three more A-rank ones, naturally upset by the pain they had inflicted on his... girlfriend."

"I see," said Hiroki falling silent as they passed through yet another checkpoint, only to continue once they passed through door "so what level of interrogation is this going to be?"

"Standard," Kaba said taking the folder back from the other man, while nodding at a fellow interrogator "Haruno has been deemed a 'C.E' and we'll treat her as such."

"A cooperative enemy?" Hiroki asked his tone openly amazed.

"After emergency medical treatment, both her own and from the ANBU Medic, she returned to Konoha willingly and she's offered nothing in the way of resistance." Kaba explained with a tiny shrug, it didn't matter if she was faking or not. Either she was a Cooperative Enemy or she wasn't, in which case Sakura got an upgraded Interrogation and if that failed, she went to Ibiki.

That was something that irked Kaba constantly; nobody understood that interrogation did not _automatically_ entail torture. Yet everyone assumed that if you went to ANBU Interrogation you were tortured. Most of the ninja, including enemies, which passed through these halls never got past the Standard Interrogation, which didn't even begin to approach the stuff Ibiki performed.

"Her personality type is to be considered Normal." Kaba continued, which earned him a soft snort. True personality types weren't very helpful, but they gave you a base to start at. Hiroki should have appreciated that by now, but minor detail.

"So, why are you explaining all this to me?" Hiroki asked after a moment, as they entered the final section of the hallway.

"What is the primary rule of interrogation?" Kaba asked his tone neutral trying to slip into his job.

"Do not personalize." Hiroki answered crisply, almost like a child repeating a long since memorized phrase.

"Exactly." Kaba said, "in this case I may be unable to follow that rule. Hence you may be required to finish the Interrogation, if so I need you to be as prepared as possible."

"I see." Hiroki said his tone making it obvious he would not pry.

Kaba, otherwise known as Yamanaka Maindo, first cousin to Yamanaka Ino, could only feel grateful for that understanding. Hiroki had been his apprentice a long time and it was nice to know that the other man would respect his privacy. A lot of apprentice, after spending a great deal of time with their masters, forgot to do so which was why in the end the whole Master/Apprentice system fell apart.

Slowing as the cast-iron door at the end of the gloomy corridor loomed forward, Kaba tried to prepare himself mentally. He had reassured his superiors that he could handle this situation; he only had one chance at this. Reaching the door, Kaba applied his chakra to several locking seals and then started on the manual combination locks and Hiroki opened the door at the loud clicks of tumblers giving way, allowing Kaba to enter first.

He took in the Spartan, windowless, four by seven interrogation room with a single glance before his gaze settled on the table bolted to the floor and the lone figure sitting motionless. Haruno Sakura wore a formless green jumpsuit, her hair now a dull grey and skin sickly pale, and a dull gauze covered her empty eye-sockets though vivid scars peaked out from beneath the fabric: thanks to having her chakra sealed off courtesy of a Hyūga, the genjutsu she had been maintaining to hide her true appearance had crumbled.

Gathering his resolve he strode into the room as the door closed behind him and Hiroki took up position in the corner.

"Good morning Haruno-san," Kaba said brightly, attempting to get several things across at once. One using her name set her at ease, and two it showed she was being treated as an individual. Both were important parts to successful interrogation and generally, it made people more likely to be helpful. Reaching the table he slid his chair out and smiled even though she couldn't see it "My name is Kaba and if you don't mind I'd like to talk with you for a little bit."

"I'm sure you would." Sakura said, sounding amused.

He could have taken that as hostility, others would and they would resort to heavy handed tactics, but Kaba knew better. Instead, he remained calm and continued preparing for the coming interrogation: opening his folder he shuffled to his questions list and set a tape recorder on the table before clicking it on.

"January fifteenth, nine-hundred hours, Tokujō Kaba. Initiating talks with Tokujō Haruno Sakura." He watched for a reaction in the girl, he had deliberately given the wrong month and date, but she remained impassive. Curious, he pressed on, trying to find some way to make her react but every question he asked and every trick he attempted met with utter silence and Kaba could feel his restraint beginning to slip.

Before long he wanted to grab the little bitch and shake her until she started talking.

The only thing that kept him from doing such a stupid thing was his professionalism. Sensing Hiroki's increasing unease, Kaba took a deep breath and then let it, out counting to ten before deciding that the Standard method had failed and that it was time to prepare for the Coercive method. Before that however, he needed to step out and clear his head otherwise if he didn't he might ruin the whole Interrogation and he couldn't allow himself to do that, it could put all of Konoha in danger.

Gathering his papers and closing the folder, Kaba forced a false pleasantness as he stood and retrieved his tape-recorder. "I'm sorry Haruno-san, if you don't mind I think I need to step outside for a bit."

"Let me talk to Naruto," Sakura said, suddenly "and I'll answer all of your questions afterwards."

* * *

Naruto paced restlessly in the small clearing, a ball of nervousness bouncing around inside him. He wasn't sure why, but there had been something in Ino's gaze when she woke up, something that set him on edge. It was irrational, but part of Naruto sensed that she knew about the Kyūbi.

The only way she could know was Karin, his half-sister that had hurt Ino in the first place. Lashing out he hit a tree, growling at the mere thought of her. Karin, he had been unsure of how to deal with her and the possibility of her relationship with him, but that was long since past.

Ino was in the hospital because of that bitch, and Naruto knew that the only reason for that was _his_ relationship with Ino. Karin had hurt Ino just to get back at him, or back at the Yondaime or whoever. He felt the Kyūbi's chakra stirring and Naruto quickly quashed it; he had pressed his luck enough in the last two days.

Running a hand through his hair, Naruto huffed, trying to calm himself. He was thankful that Tsunade had been in the village for the last three years, the medical care was the best due to that. Calm once more, he began fretting about Ino and the possibility that she knew about the Kyūbi.

Her reaction wasn't exactly what he expected if she did know, so maybe she didn't know. But he wouldn't put it past Karin to hurt him by telling Ino - Whirling Naruto obliterated a tree with a Rasengan, a scream of frustration escaping him. Panting, he closed his eyes.

This wasn't working; his mind just kept going in circles, he would have to see Ino and find out for sure. The only real thing he knew for sure was that when he encountered Karin again, he would rip her limb from limb. Whatever uncertainty he held on how to deal with her was cast to the wayside, nobody hurt those he cared for and got away with it.

Nodding in satisfaction, his mind turned reluctantly to other problems he had looming before him. He still had to talk to the Hokage about that lab, and what Tsunade had found out. Also, he hadn't given Hanabi more than a secondary reassuring check, Naruto needed to sit down with her and make sure things were good.

"Uzumaki-sama?"

Naruto spun, kunai falling into his hand in preparation but paused seeing the ANBU Trainee, who looked startled at his reaction.

"I didn't mean to startle you." The ANBU said warily.

"Don't worry about it," Naruto said, putting the kunai up and crossed his arms "so is there something you need?"

"The enemy you captured has requested a chance to speak with you."

"Eh?"

"The request was put through the proper chain of command, first to Morino-sama and then to Tenzou-sama and then Hokage-sama. They approved, provided you agreed to allow a Hyūga to seal your chakra."

"Ok, fine, I'll talk to the pink-haired bitch." Naruto said, preparing for any tricks. He wouldn't put it past Unity to try something right now, but he couldn't exactly blow this off. Ino had made that deal and he would make sure nothing put it in jeopardy; after all, she had made the deal on his behalf.

The ANBU Trainee of course motioned for Naruto to follow, then lead him in a very convoluted path around Konoha before coming to a stop at a non-descript building. It was five stories high, gray, windowless, perfectly square and utterly isolated. Despite it being one of the most unnerving buildings Naruto had ever seen, he gamely entered through the heavily barred metal door and into a large empty room.

At the far wall was a plain wooden door, an ANBU guard stationed on either side with a Hyūga positioned nearby. Glancing casually at his guide, Naruto started for the door. Coming to a stop just before the Hyūga, he grinned in a rather friendly manner "So you the one that's gonna seal my chakra?"

"Temporarily, I assure you." The Hyūga said inclining his head, "you may feel a small stab of pain, but it should not be much and your chakra will return in an hour or so."

No sooner had Naruto agreed than the Hyūga activated his Byakugan, and with a pair of blazing hands, struck ten times. Naruto almost cried out, a deep burning raced through his body, until it faded. Stumbling slightly, Naruto blinked; he could still feel his chakra on some level, but he also realized he couldn't mold it.

"Normally, I would strike all three hundred and sixty-one Tenketsu points. However, doing so would take up to a week to wear off and leave you vulnerable, so I struck the ten major chakra points. With those points disrupted chakra can no longer be molded."

"Right, sure, got it." Naruto muttered, glancing at the man and then the ANBU beside him. Somehow Naruto expected that this was not the normal procedure, probably just his paranoia but Naruto wondered if maybe they knew about the threat of Unity and were trying to avoid making him a sitting duck. Turning he started for the door, but stopped as the Bird Mask ANBU moved in front of him and held out his left hand, palm upwards. "Hip pouch."

"Really?" Naruto asked, removing it to hand it over "you don't trust me?"

"Standard Procedure." The ANBU said handing it over to the second ANBU, who put it in an open safety deposit box. "You're back up as well."

"What backup?" Naruto asked, fighting to keep his face neutral since he had several backups.

"Right wrist."

"Ah," Naruto said, scowling before shaking back his sleeve, undoing the straps on the kunai holster and handed it over.

"And the blade in your forehead protector." the ANBU deadpanned, handing the wrist holder to his partner.

Naruto blinked, staring at the man in startled surprise before sighing. Reaching up he slipped the fabric off, producing a slim knife from the secret pouch behind the metal plate. Scowling at the man Naruto handed it over and crossed his arms "Anything else?"

"Please," Bird Mask said stepping forward, reaching toward the front pockets on Naruto's pants. Naruto jerked back in surprise, swatting at the man's hands only to freeze at the sudden spikes in killing intent surrounding him. "Uzumaki-sama, we know you're the student of Mitarashi-sempai."

"Damn it." Naruto muttered, holding still as Bird Mask stepped up yet again and reached into his front pockets. The ANBU found a pocketknife and a small push dagger with a central finger hole. Bird Mask gave them to his partner, and then unzipped Naruto's jacket, fingers feeling carefully along the lining before sliding a thin bladed knife with a teardrop shaped hilt out, followed by another push dagger.

Handing those over, Bird mask pushed back Naruto's left sleeve, fingers feeling along the cuff before uncoiling a thin metal wire. Stepping back, he handed the wire to his partner who added it to the others in the safety deposit box before closing the metal container. Locking it, they passed the key to Naruto before holding up a clipboard and pen.

"Sign in please."

"Fine." Naruto grumbled, annoyed that they had searched him. Signing the sheet of paper, Naruto pocketed the tiny key, while Bird Mask unlocked the door.

"I'll escort you to the interrogation room." The ANBU Trainee said, stepping past Naruto, opening the door.

"Great." Naruto said with a nod, following the man as he opened the door and descended the stairway to an off-white, corridor illuminated with antiseptic light. Naruto grimaced, the color combination was getting to him, twenty feet later, and they reached another door, guarded by two more ANBU. As they drew closer, the ANBU on the left stepped forward, handing the Trainee a clipboard before addressing Naruto.

"Jacket."

"Excuse me?" Naruto asked, staring blankly at the ANBU. At the lack of response, and aware of the fact that it would be three to one, Naruto sighed pulling his jacket off tossing it at the man. A curt nod from the ANBU as he stepped back, and the door swung open allowing Naruto and the Trainee to continue.

"Really great atmosphere you got here." Naruto muttered, but received nothing in response and with a sigh of annoyance followed the man in silence. If it wasn't the only way to get the information they wanted he wouldn't even be there, not only because he could barely stomach the idea of dealing with Sakura but because of Unity and how easy it could be to ambush him.

After what felt like hours, but probably only really twenty minutes, and two dozen more checkpoints, they made a final turn and entered a long hallway with metal doors spaced every three feet or so. At the far end, under ANBU guard, was a cast-iron door. "There won't be a guard present, which is unusual but Kaba-san feels this would be best. However, this conversation will be observed on closed monitor."

"Kaba?"

"The ANBU in-charge of her interrogation, he says she's classified as a C.E., cooperative enemy, and there's no danger." the ANBU explained before nodding at the Trainee who nodded at the guard who turned and applied his chakra to several locking seals and then started on the manual combination locks. Then with a shove, he opened the door, motioning for Naruto to enter.

With a wary glance at the two men, Naruto stepped into the stark grey room. Crossing to the table slowly, Naruto settled in across from Sakura who looked strikingly different from the last time he had seen her. Ashen hair, scars faintly visible from behind the bandage around her eyes and a formless prisoner uniform, gave no hint to the once vibrant girl he had known.

"Naruto." Sakura said, her tone flat, looking in his general direction.

"Sakura," Naruto returned blandly "why'd you want to talk to me?"

"Because you remind me of Sas-chan." Sakura said with a faint smile "that good enough, or were you expecting a love confession after all this time?"

"I doubt you actually know what that is." Naruto said, then seeing her frown snorted, "at least that's what you want me to say. I may hate you and I have homicidal tendencies toward _**that **_bastard, but you don't go missing-nin over a crush, even I know that."

"You've changed."

"You're blind." Naruto retorted with a shrug that went unseen "so what'd you want to talk about?"

"You know, right after we left Oto no Kuni we visited this land called Jakunen Riku. It wasn't much to look at, barren landscape and utter devastation, but it was a nice place to hide out for a while. We stayed in the center, where gravity isn't absolute." Sakura paused, smiling at him mysteriously "you might like to visit, you may find something interesting."

"Right." Naruto said, leaning back while crossing his arms.

"How's Ino?"

"Fine, awake now." Naruto answered, mind flashing to Ino and the look in her eyes- "What do you know about Karin?"

"Karin is...not a pleasant person." Sakura offered slowly "She's one of Orochimaru's prized lieutenants. Karin can detect chakra, it's what drew Orochimaru to her, and she's refined that ability so that she can sense the chakra accurately enough to predict our movements."

"Yeah, I sorta got that. She can also cause her opponents chakra to implode with a strike." Naruto said, sitting forward, arms resting on the table "can you tell me anything else?"

"Her original name was Namigashira. Karin was the only survivor of an attack on a small village during a war. Her ability not only saved her but allowed her to come out of it unharmed. Karin also has serious issues with her mother, who abandoned her prior to the attack, and the man she ran off with."

Naruto simply stared, a tight knot of hate and anger forming in the pit of his stomach. Shifting his weight, Naruto rubbed the side of his head, agitated at the mere thought of her. He wanted to lash out, to destroy her and Naruto could, he was more than strong enough... she was going to suffer, he would do things to her that-

"You're kind of bloodthirsty." Sakura said, as if reading his mind, her voice barely above a whisper "Is that the Kyūbi's influence?"

"This has nothing to do with_ it_." Naruto hissed back, glaring at Sakura who merely leaned back in her chair, face passive.

"Good." Sakura said after a moment, "I've told you everything I needed to."

"Then let me ask you something," Naruto said as he stood slowly, bottling his anger tightly "why tell me anything since Sasuke didn't come back? Wasn't that part of the deal you made?"

"I've got my reasons." Sakura offered, grinning sadly in his direction "a woman has to have a few contradictions in her life."

"Sure." Naruto said and shaking his head, started for the door.

* * *

Ino had cried only rarely once she became a ninja, you simply didn't cry if you could help it. In fact, the kenjutsu expert could count three times she had cried since entering the academy. Each done in private, and even under torture, she would never admit to doing so.

She had mastered her urge to cry through all the test's and checkups, before they released her to go home under orders to get some rest. Once home and secure within her own room, clutching the last remnants of her childhood -a stuffed cat- the tears had started.

Ino could not explain the exact reason she needed to cry, but the pain in her chest wouldn't go away. Naruto had kept secrets, they all had, but this was different somehow. The one he had kept, well it made Ino realize that he didn't trust her. He should have told her about the Kyūbi being sealed inside him, should have trusted her to keep it silent.

So she sat, locked away in her room, tears dried up but the sense of hurt great. Part of her wanted to counter what Karin said by arguing it to be a trick, the other girl worked for Orochimaru after all. Yet, she had known about Naruto being a 'Jinchūriki' and about Akatsuki...so...

...so...

She needed to ask Naruto, they needed to talk. Ino had nearly built up her resolve to go confront him, when her thoughts were disrupted but not forgotten, by a knock at her door.

"Mom?" Ino called tiredly, guessing more than anything.

"Yes." her mom's voice called back "uh, you have a visitor..."

"I don't-"

"It's Naruto."

Ino paused, hesitated, and thought about casting a genjutsu to hide the evidence of her tears, would have at any other time, but right now that would be wrong.

"Ok." Ino finally managed, licking her lips, as the door opened and Uzumaki Naruto entered the room quietly. Naruto never did anything quietly, unless you counted sneaking up on her. He stared at her in a sort of uncertain fashion, his posture hesitating before he closed the door.

"Hey." Ino said, sensing that she would have to break the silence first.

"Hi." He paused before he began forming seals. Silencing seals, Ino realized dully, he was smarter than most people gave him credit for. He applied the seals to the door, then more to her lone window and each corner of her room, barring anyone from hearing a thing.

That could prove handy if they ever got together.

Finished he turned to look at her, expectantly and she took a deep breath to strengthen her courage. He shifted his weight and then sat down on a low dresser, looking around. "Naruto..."

"Yes?"

"Are you a...Jinchūriki?" Ino asked, feeling awkward, then flinched with the way his head snapped around and his eyes narrowed.

"Did Karin tell you that word?"

"No," Ino paused a little uncomfortable with the conversation now "that Kisame used it- I've been trying to find it out since then what it means."

"So do you know now?" Naruto asked, his tone colder.

"Karin told me, that's how she managed to get the drop on me." Ino admitted before sighing "there is a demon inside you and it's eating your soul."

"That bitch," Naruto muttered darkly, before clearing his throat as he felt Ino's gaze on him "well she's partly right, there is a demon inside me. But it's not eating my soul."

"I see." Ino muttered, feeling a little relieved. Her feelings had been confused in light of what Karin had told her; now she knew better- which only left one issue. "Y-you know you could have told me."

"Huh?" Naruto managed, startled.

"You could have told me." Ino offered, looking down at the foot of her bed.

"What, tell you that I'm a prison for the demon responsible for killing who knows how many members of not only your family, but the family's of your friends?" Naruto asked sarcastically "Yeah, sure and after you freaked out, we could just trotted off into the sunset right?"

"Well, maybe if you said it differently?" Ino offered weakly, looking up before sighing "the thing is, you _should_ have told me."

"Ino it's not that easy." Naruto countered, sounding strained "this isn't like some famous relative."

"I'm not saying it is!" Ino said glaring at him "I know as ninja we deal in secrets, that there are things we keep from others, but...but, I always felt that between us we, you know, didn't have to."

Naruto just stared at her for several long minutes, and then said a single word with utter hatred. "Eta."

"What?"

"It's another word, for people like me," Naruto explained, his eyes darkening "for people with demons sealed in them. From birth, they're isolated and dehumanized, tormented mercilessly. The few others I've met don't even think they're actually human."

"Naruto-"

"No let me continue," Naruto said curtly, his tone angry "we also have abilities called Onjutsu and at least one is active from birth. There unnatural abilities, even when compared to bloodline abilities. Yugito is one of the Kumo Jinchūriki and hers is an instant death touch, the slightest contact with her skin kills. The other Kumo Jinchūriki has so much strength that even his lightest grip can crush a rock."

"This isn't about them!" Ino shouted, glaring at him angrily. What was he saying all of this for, why was he bothering to tell her -

"You wanted to know everything Ino." Naruto said blandly, his eyes almost glowing. "Do you want to know that I have nightmares about slaughtering everyone I know, everyone I consider family while laughing? How the Kyūbi gloats about how when its free it'll kill _you _first but only after it spends days torturing you? How about when I access enough of its chakra my skin peels off, how my body distorts and my blood boils?"

"Stop." Ino said softly, tears starting to form, looking away.

"This is what you wanted though wasn't it?" Naruto half-taunted half-growled "For me to tell you everything, not to keep any secrets from you."

"Bastard." Ino muttered, looking back at him with a glare. He stared back, his gaze unapologetic, his stance firm.

"So now you know." Naruto said after a moment his tone softening "anything else?"

Ino didn't answer, she honestly didn't want to talk now, and there was no telling what she'd say. He was acting so callous, did he really think that little of her feelings? But still there was something she had to know, something she had to ask him - "Why did you never tell me?"

"Because I've seen how people treat people like me." Naruto answered curtly.

"Is your opinion of me _that_ low?" Ino asked sharply, head snapping up as her temper and wounded feelings flared. Did he really think, after all they had been through together that she would be so narrow minded? Didn't he get that she could care less about the Kyūbi and more about the trust that had been broken between them?

Naruto's eyes widened, as if slapped. Then his face flashed through several conflicting emotions before he yanked her door open and stormed out of her room, slamming it behind him. Ino sat there for another minute confused, hurt and angry before she grabbed the first thing at hand to throw against the door.

* * *

Hanabi moved with a grace and sureness that other Genin didn't possess, it came from her Jūken training and her combat experience. A spinning leg sweep carried her into a butterfly round-kick, which carried her seamlessly into an outer forearm block and spear-hand. Freezing at the end of her combative combination, Hanabi struggled to maintain her posture as well as ignore the sweat dripping into her eyes.

Easing her body into a neutral stance, Hanabi grimaced; her muscles and joints were beginning to throb and burn, a sign of over use. They were also a sensation that Hanabi experienced often and with increasing frequency. Hanabi knew on some level that she needed to tell Naruto, but he would force her to stop training and Hanabi couldn't do that; she needed to be faster and stronger, because Naruto would need her.

Admittedly what he needed right now was for Ino to wake up, the boy had been a wreck. Brushing strands of sweat clumped hair aside, Hanabi almost chuckled, her older brother had thrown every pretense out the window during the last few days. Which Hanabi felt was a good thing, she might never really understand *why*, but Naruto was determinedly set on Ino and the girl seemed to feel the same way toward Naruto.

Speaking of which, Hanabi should probably swing by and check in on them both.

Leaving the isolated training area, Hanabi set off for the hospital before realizing the time. Visiting hours would be over, which Tsunade had strictly enforced, so not even her brother could fight that rule. Shifting directions, Hanabi headed instead for his house, skin prickling as the cool air passed over her.

Entering the civilian neighborhood, Hanabi nodded at the few outside, reflecting as always, on how strange it was to be surrounded by such people. They lived insulated lives; their biggest fear was not paying a bill or what clothes to wear to school. Hanabi both envied and despised them, while she could feel how they simply pitied her.

Reaching the base of the small mountain, enclosed by trees, Hanabi sighed looking up at the two-story home overhead. Only her sensei would live on the side of the mountain with only four metal beams holding his house in place. Naturally, he had yet to add ladder or stairs, leaving Hanabi to gather her chakra to her feet and raced up the mountain face.

Reaching the veranda encircling the first floor she stumbled, feeling a noticeable drain on her already low chakra. It made Hanabi appreciate her control even more, taking a moment to recover she grumbled about needing to build her reserves and then knocked on the door. After several minutes passed, she knocked twice more and when he still didn't answer, Hanabi slouched.

Great, he wasn't home. Hanabi did not look forward to trying to go back down the mountain with how exhausted physically she was feeling, maybe she could just sleep on the-

"Hanabi?" Naruto said, startling her.

"Sensei?" Hanabi asked, focusing on the door and at his scowling features. He wasn't angry, but there was something irritating him and Hanabi sincerely hoped it wasn't her.

"You want to come in?" Naruto asked, stepping aside and gesturing for her to enter.

"Thanks." Hanabi said, feeling a rush of relief as she stepped inside and kicked off her sandals. Padding through the second door, she turned right heading into the living room. Blinking she took in the numerous scrolls strewn around haphazardly and Hanabi could tell some had been tossed aside in irritation.

"I was just fussing with some sealing scrolls." Naruto offered, walking past her, heading for the kitchen "want something to drink?"

"No, I'm good." Hanabi offered, carefully navigating the floor, skimming the various scrolls before noticing the weapons sealing scroll Naruto had been working on before the mission. A notepad sat next to it with several horribly scrawled notes that Hanabi couldn't make out. "Is something wrong with the sealing system?"

"Yeah," Naruto huffed flopping on the couch to pick up the scroll "I didn't get the chance to use it in my fight, took too long to form the summoning seals but I got that fixed I think. What's really annoying me is that I can't get my trench knives to appear anywhere other than the scroll."

"Ah," Hanabi said, shifting a few scrolls aside before sitting on the other side of the table. After a few minutes of simply watching him scribble and grumble about the scroll, Hanabi spoke up again "So how is Ino-neechan?"

"Neechan?" Naruto asked, looking up startled.

"Well," Hanabi offered with a grin, "she is your girlfriend."

"Hanabi, I don't..." Naruto paused, his face slipping into a deeper scowl before he shook his head "Ino is fine. At home and resting, on inactive duty for a few more days."

"Is something wrong?" Hanabi asked, a knot of worry settling in her stomach. That scowl had not been right, there was something wrong and it involved Ino, Hanabi's heart trembled at the possibility - "D-did she break up with you Aniki?"

"Wha? No, that's not, we weren't even going out!" Naruto protested, looking bewildered and confused. Shaking his head he made an indistinct noise and gave her a piercing look, as if he was trying to judge if he could confide in her or not. "There is some stuff I need to tell you. See, I have a secret not that it's just mine; it belongs to the Yondaime as well. Anyway, keeping this has already come back to bite me on the ass."

"I understand," Hanabi said, and she did.

Naruto took a deep breath and then started talking; he told her about an important day seventeen years ago, a day when the village suffered its greatest tragedy and gravest threat, a day when their greatest Hokage died, but only after sealing The Beast into his newborn son and hiding such a fact. Naruto paused briefly, watching her and then he plunged ahead explaining the danger this presented.

Akatsuki, what he knew about them, what happened if his temper got too out of control. He explained the details about the sealing, how it had saved him when Sasuke had come close to killing him. Naruto finally finished by telling her vaguely that he and Ino had gotten into an argument over his status as a Jinchūriki.

Here he paused once more and stared at her expectantly.

"So," Hanabi said, wrestling with all the information she had learned. It was a lot to take in all at once, so she focused on the most important thing "you're only alive because of the Kyūbi?"

"Uh, yeah..." Naruto said, scratching the back of his head.

"I see." Hanabi said, before getting to her feet and moving around the table "then I'm glad it wasn't killed. I'm glad your dad sealed it in you."

"Hanabi, do you really understand what I told you?" Naruto asked, looking dubious.

"It's not that I don't understand that people hate it, that people want it dead. It's just-" Hanabi said indignantly as she sat down next to him. "Aniki, I don't want to lose you. So, if it's the reason you didn't die, then I can't hate it because it saved _you_."

"Tsuru-chan," Naruto managed, before Hanabi hugged him tightly. Hanabi pressed her face against his chest, clutching at him tightly. She had heard the pain, the loneliness and the fear in his voice. It had echoed her own and she had done the first thing that leapt to mind, because they were family and because he needed her and she would never let him down.

"S'ok imouto," Naruto said softly, his arms moving to hug her back just as tightly "and thanks."

* * *

**AN: **

Also, you're not seeing things. I'm now updating twice a month, once on the 10th and the 20th of each month.

Aniki: Elder Brother  
Imouto: Younger sister  
Eta: literally, "an abundance of defilement" or "an abundance of filth" (a now derogatory term used in pre-Meiji times, for a certain group of people. I seriously hesitated to use it, I'm still not entirely comfortable with it, but in the context of the scene there was no other way to get across the concept of how low certain ninja villages actually viewed Jinchūriki.)


	28. Chapter 26: Between Life and Death

**Narut**o: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 26:  
_-Between Life and Death-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto lived alone, he slept alone and he very rarely let someone sleep in the same house as him. So when the blond would-be-Hokage woke up, he did so to an unusual weight on his chest. It wasn't uncomfortable exactly, but it did startle him, though he tried not to let that show. After all, he could distinctly remember going to bed alone last night and the blanket remained firmly draped over him, which dashed any drowsy idea that it could be Ino seeking to reconcile.

Not that Naruto could bring himself to think about that whole situation, his emotions were too volatile now.

A muffled snore disrupted his thoughts, reminding him of the person currently using him as a pillow. Opening his eyes blearily, he lifted his head to stare at the mop of dark brown hair on his chest and realized it was Hanabi. Blinking he shifted to the left, allowing her to slide off him gently, then rolled out of bed to stare down at the still slumbering girl.

Reaching up he scratched his disheveled hair in confusion, the last he remembered she'd been sleeping on the couch when he went to bed. Kami he must have really been exhausted if he hadn't noticed her climbing into bed with him, but he supposed that was only to be expected after yesterday. Grabbing the edge of the blanket he covered her, then standing up stared at her thoughtfully before leaving her to sleep in peace.

Stepping out of his room, he made a bee-line for his kitchen, intent on breakfast. He'd probably take a shower after that, but first, to quiet his growling stomach he would consume vast quantities of his precious ramen. Padding into the kitchen, he sought and found a large bowl, before grabbing two packs of the Kami blessed food and began cooking.

It was muscle memory the way he went about things; setting up the pot, adding the ingredients, stirring of the broth -three times to the left once to the right and then repeated as taught by Ayame -, and then when finished ladling it into the large bowl -won in Ichiraku's first and only Ramen eating contest against Choji- he had selected earlier. Then with a hearty appetite assaulted the defenseless food, not quite as delicious as Ichiraku Ramen, but then again nothing was. He'd have to make it a point to stop by for lunch today, maybe drag Hanabi along with him.

Eyes closed in joyful rapture; he strolled, almost skipped, out of the kitchen eating his precious food noisily.

"Yeesh, I see your manners haven't improved at all."

""GAH!" the blond shouted, startled into nearly spilling his food. Recovering he spun toward the voice, broth sloshing over the edges "Ero-sennin, you nearly made me spill my ramen!"

"Yeah, that would just be a tragedy." the Sannin said dryly, reclining while dropping an open scroll on the coffee table.

"It would be!" Naruto protested, then paused, scowling in deep thought "When the hell did you get here?"

"Last night, after you and that girl went to bed." Jiraiya said dismissively "I had to prod her off the couch, she's a bit violent you know."

"A bit? Ero-sennin, you don't know the half of it." Naruto muttered shaking his head before sitting down in a chair across from the man "So, what are you here for? Shouldn't you be seeing Baba for a little-"

"That is on my 'to do' list." Jiraiya interrupted, which came as a bit of a surprise since the older man loved to brag about that sort of thing. Before Naruto could consider it too much Jiraiya gestured at the sealing scroll on the table "I'm a bit surprised with you though, I didn't think you'd be messing around with sealing like this."

"Weeeeeell," Naruto said, slurping up several noodles to buy some time before continuing "not exactly sealing. I sort of combined the Kuchiyoise no jutsu and the weapon sealing formula, but its not exactly working like I meant for it too."

"Baka," Jiraiya muttered rolling his eyes "you tried to combine the seal for an inorganic item and an organic Kuchiyoise they're incompatible, I thought that would be obvious."

"But I changed that!"

"No," Jiraiya grumbled before ticking things off on his fingers "there are two flaws: First, Kuchiyoise no jutsu is a special 'time-space' ninjutsu that allows a ninja to summon animals, objects and the dead to fight on their behalf. The thing summoned is directly balanced by the equivalent exchange of chakra in proportion to its size. Second, Sealing can bind both organic and inorganic depending on the formula but only within objects."

"Right, with ya so far..."

"Now then, what do those things have in common?"

"Eh?"

"Destinations Markers."

"Destination Markers?" Naruto repeated, scowling.

"Destination Markers." Jiraiya confirmed with a nod.

"Oh." Naruto said, pausing before his eyes widened "Oh! I need to replace the organic Kuchiyoise marker with an inorganic destination marker, right?"

"Exactly." Jiraiya said with a pleased nod "maybe you're not as much of an idiot as I thought."

"Hehe, thanks." Naruto chuckled, before staring at the older man thoughtfully "Hey Ero-sennin, are you sure I'm not an idiot?"

"What the sort of question is that?" the infamous ninja asked dubiously, caught off guard. Naruto took a breath, and then letting it out, explained what had happened situation. Not with Ino, Naruto didn't trust the man to give him serious relationship advise, but rather with the fact that he had messed up and nearly got himself killed. Jiraiya listened before shaking his head interrupting. "Maa, you're even more thick-headed than your dad was."

"Huh?"

"Naruto, you saved a team mates life. That's far from stupid, its commendable- on the other hand, going into a mission without testing your new seal design was dumb as a rock."

"I guess." Naruto muttered, dubiously. It wasn't the first time that the differing philosophies of Jiraiya and Anko had came into conflict with each other, leaving Naruto confused. Was it right to risk your life to save a team mate or was it stupidity? Maybe it was a bit of both, Naruto mused.

"Trust me." Jiraiya said before he leaned forward, lacing fingers together looking serious "There are other things we need to talk about and your lack of intelligence isn't one of them."

"Meh, Like what?"

"Akatsuki for one." The Sannin said after a moment's hesitation, "my Intel says they've ran into a few problems with their other targets. So we got a little more time than I expected before they move on you."

"At least there's that." Naruto muttered, scowling as he realized how little he had thought of them lately.

"The other thing is - Naruto," Jiraiya paused, his face taking on a pensive look "There is, I'm not sure how to say this..."

"Huh?"

"First, promise me that you'll stay calm and listen to me." Jiraiya demanded his gaze hard and Naruto felt himself gulp even as he nodded faintly. A dark voice that sounded like a gloating fox brought a fear he kept buried deep in his mind. A sort of coldness had already started spreading through him, even though the man hadn't said anything else. "It's about Anko. She hadn't made contact in a while so I checked up on her and- Anko gave her life to warn us, the wounds she received, they were unique. She gave us a warning by refusing to be captured."

"No, she's Anko, she can't..." Naruto started to protest, the words hollow even as he said them. "She can't be...dead..."

Jiraiya said something, but Naruto didn't hear, all he saw was the mouth moving and he heard a noise. His mind though, refused to understand, refused to accept it, Anko dead? She couldn't just die like that; it had to be a trick or a joke, because she couldn't be dead.

Only he knew she was and suddenly his world seemed to be tilting and spinning wildly, a sort of numbness spreading through him. It all seemed so unreal, dreamlike; nothing quite fit the way it should. Then in the pit of his stomach, of his soul, he felt like crying out, like giving voice to the pain and sense of loss that now flooded through him.

Only he didn't, he wouldn't, that would be wrong. Anko would expect more of him. Belatedly he noticed Jiraiya had stopped talking, that the old man now stared at him, waiting and Naruto realized that he had to say something, do something...

"Who?"

"Naruto?"

"Who was it?" Naruto asked firmer this time, his tone less question and more commanding. Jiraiya hesitated, but Naruto wouldn't let this go because he needed to know. "Who!"

"A member of the Four Divine Thunders, an elite group within Kumo." Jiraiya said wearily "We don't know which one exactly."

"Can we find out?"

"No." Jiraiya said, then after a moment reached into his shirt and held out a headband "I figured you'd want this, it's traditional to give this to the family."

Naruto took the cloth, the feeling of the rough fabric reminding him of Iruka's old one. Only this felt courser, heavier, probably one of the oldest headbands in the village...somehow his thumb ended up running over the dulled metal plate, tracing the leaf on it, noting the nicks and scratches on the surface with only half a mind.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No." Naruto said, his gaze lowering to the item he held, his mind settling into a darkly placid state. Silence passed between them, then Jiriaya spoke up once more.

"They want to do an autopsy on her, just to make sure we don't miss anything."

"Baba doing it?"

"She can, she'll make sure it won't hurt." Jiraiya said his tone calm and soothing.

"Ok." Naruto agreed before looking up to meet his gaze. The blond took his anger and hate, burying them deep inside where they would stay until he came face to face with her killer, then he would let them out. "I...can you..."

"Yeah," Jiraiya said, seeming to get the message and stood before he paused "if you need anything, just let me know."

"Thanks." Naruto said, looking back at the headband he held, listening to the heavy footfalls. Once the man left, Naruto blinked, watching in a detached way as a tear splashed onto the metal. Another tear followed, and another, but he didn't care and he hoped Anko understood that this was one game of pretend he couldn't do.

* * *

_Hi no Kuni..._

The silence of the forest set the pale figure on edge as he crouched at the base of a tree, running his fingers over his exposed flesh. Every so often he would pause, looking around like an animal ready to flee then return to his body. He had been the same ever since emerging from the darkness, and finding himself alone in the forest.

Pausing the dark haired man stared at his hands, or through them, mind lapsing once more into nothing. It had been that way for three days, a blank mind, without anything resembling thought entering it. His fingers twitched at some unseen prompting, his gaze though never wavered from his hands and his mindscape an ocean of inky blackness.

Finally his mind rose from the black pit that it had become, sluggishly moving toward rational thought. As such the first indication was that of missing something important and this caused him to look around with a bewildered gaze. He stood slowly, eyes tracing back and forth looking for whatever it was that he lost: The sense of loss was soon joined by a blurred memory, an image that cleared sharply the more he concentrated.

Silky pink hair, emerald green eyes, supple body, devoted to him...now the image of the young woman blazed brightly in his memory and he tried to place a name to her. Sakura at one point and now Tenmou following their wedding-

"Tenmou." He said in a sharp, but low tone. It seemed that the floodgates on his memories were giving way, allowing him to remember the history of how things had progressed. His fight against that monster Naruto, how close to death he had come...and then nothing.

He could remember nothing after a certain point in his fight against Naruto, but obviously something had happened to spare him. It also did not take a genius to figure out that either Tenmou had been killed or captured. His initial urge to seek her out passed, now it became a case of deciding what goal to pursue. Searching out and potentially avenging Tenmou or continuing his hunt for Itachi and avenging his clan, the problem though was how to pick one over the other.

"Sasuke-kun!" A cheerful voice said and the Uchiha spun, hand flashing to a weapon that he did not have. Either way he still found a figure, dressed in a dark jumpsuit wearing an orange swirl mask with a single eyehole. Said figure promptly raised his hands in an almost over the top fashion to warn away an attack that Sasuke wasn't sure he could actually carry out.

"Who are you?" Sasuke commanded nerves on edge.

"Ahaha, funny story, I'm you from the future sent back to protect you from evil demons!" the masked figure said, then at Sasuke's blank look, began scratching the back of his head nervously "I'm Tobi!"

"Tobi."

"Yep, that's me!" he chimed happily before gesturing at a figure behind him "You should know Karin righ-"

Sasuke didn't let him finish since his Sharingan swirled to life upon sight of the girl before he lunged toward Tobi, hand blazing with concentrated lighting chakra. The masked man stumbled and fell over, somehow tripping Sasuke in the process causing his Chidori to pierce a tree. Snarling Sasuke pulled his hand free and turned to glare at Tobi. "I'm not going back to that pathetic snake."

"You misunderstand, I'm not here on Oro-" Tobi started before Karin interrupted, tone irritated.

"You are a fool if you don't think so. Why do you think you're so close to the border of the Konoha/Oto conflict?" At this she huffed haughtily and slid her glasses back up her nose "that cursed seal is eating away at you. Now be a good little puppet and come along quie-"

"Be quiet." Sasuke said coolly, Sharingan fixating on her for a brief moment. The girl shrunk back, and Sasuke turned his attention back to the fool Tobi who seemed to be in charge. Somehow, though, the Uchiha doubted that man too be a fool as he appeared; fools were not allowed to walk around with trusted Lieutenant's of Orochimaru or able to time their fall so expertly.

"Haha, uhm, please don't talk to her like that?" Tobi asked politely, scratching his head "besides, we've been looking for you since you disappeared on us a few days ago. Which reminds me, should probably tell Suigetsu we found you."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, mentally running through how to handle this. Karin was nothing to sneeze at, but he would have no real trouble with her, he knew how to fight her and how to counter her fighting style. Suigetsu he could handle easily if the other boy turned up, it was Tobi that would prove the most problematic, Sasuke had never heard of or seen him before so he would be a totally unknown quantity to the fight...still, a little more information would be helpful. "What happened?"

"Short or long version?" Tobi asked, and then at Sasuke's glare chuckled nervously "short version, Sakura betrayed you. We rescued you."

"She betrayed me?" Sasuke repeated hollowly, mind whirling.

"Are you surprised? I could see it coming a mile off," Karin offered sourly, but with a smirk on her lips "once you two left Oto you had no place to go after all. She's a pampered princess Sasuke, what'd you expect her to do?"

"Karin, come on, you know it's not like that." Tobi said quickly, trying to play peacemaker "there's more to it than just that."

"Enough." Sasuke snapped, glaring at the two, mind made up. If Sakura had betrayed him, then she would be within Konoha once more and he would confront her to find out _why_ she betrayed him. He wasn't sure what he would do after that, but he would figure it out when he came to that bridge.

"Right, good, so as I said earlier, we're not here from Orochimaru. See, I've made an alliance with him, well temporary alliance, so anyway, in return for a little help on a project he was willing to let me borrow some of his Lieutenant's."

"I told you," Sasuke deadpanned, hiding a wince as he felt his body tell him that he could not keep using the Sharingan much longer "I'm not going back."

"No, no, listen, it's not like that. Honest," Tobi offered, his tone eager and quick "Orochimaru doesn't have any interest in your Sharingan anymore. I'm here because I have an offer you can't refuse."

"What offer?" Sasuke asked cautiously, then felt a jolt of surprise as Tobi moved to met his gaze, revealing his own Sharingan.

"Everything." Tobi said, only this time there was no hint of his earlier childlike tone. "Interested?"

* * *

_Konoha, Tsuande's Office..._

Tsunade stared dimly at the file before her, the tiny scrawl that Kiyoshi called handwriting forcing her to pause and rub the bridge of her nose. Kami, why couldn't Kiyoshi have normal sized handwriting, the squinting was getting annoying. Letting out a heavy sigh, the buxom medic leaned forward and once more began reading Kiyohsi's report on Sakura's medical history.

On the surface Sakura seemed healthy enough, unsurprising for a medical ninja, especially of Sakura's caliber. No what interested Tsunade was the hints that Kiyoshi dropped about other things, little things that Tsunade could put together and form a larger picture when used in conjunction with the debriefing report: Sakura had altered her Endocrine System which resulted in increased chakra, reaction time, and speed. More so she was directly manipulating her Adrenal Cortex and Adrenal Medulla which increased her raw muscle strength and heightening her adrenaline responses.

Undoubtedly Sasuke had similar changes to his own body, but to make such stable changes would require a lot of medical experimentation.

Though it was far from perfect, taken with what Ino told them after waking up, Sakura had mentioned wanting to talk but was easily provoked into a fight. That would be attributed to an over abundance of steroid and adrenaline being produced by the body. Worse still, by increasing the Adrenal Medulla output, there was a serious risk of initiating muscle atrophy, degeneration and hypertension.

Still, it amounted to the chance that Tsunade had been looking for. Ever since the failure with the Ippan-i she'd been looking into the kinjutsu medical experiments, had started the ones in Haijin- though that had made it easier for Unity to slip their own in as well. Either way, even she could only do so much alone, but with Sakura back in the village -and Shizune dead in the explosion of Zokusei- she had a real chance to further her kinjtusu experiments.

A hesitant knock drew her attention and Tsunade glanced at her clock before sighing. That would be Ino, punctual as ever when it came to their meetings, as were most people. Shaking her head the medic called out for the young woman to enter and grabbed a bottle she had sitting on hand.

"You wanted to see me?" Ino asked, entering the office without her usual air of confidence.

"Isoprovalyn," Tsunade said dryly, tossing the bottle of pills at her "take three pills a day regularly for the next two months."

"Thank you. Did the Hokage-"

"Ask me if you could have Raijin-ken? Yeah he asked, I told him why not." Tsunade said blandly, skimming the reports on her desk once more "Now if you don't mind, I've got an autopsy to perform."

"Oh, thanks," Ino said, hesitating at the door before speaking again "Naruto's bloodline...is it because he's a Jinchūriki for the Kyūbi?"

Tsunade paused, eyes widening as she stared at the paper in her hands. Slowly she looked up at her grand niece, who stared back expectantly and a tad uneasy. How did, who could have -

"I just, I don't understand anything about-"

"Ino," Tsunade said slowly interrupting the girl "that word, that _concep_t goes against ever ethical moral Konoha embraces. It condemns a person from birth to a painful and isolated existence until death."

"But-"

"I don't know where you heard that word, but the subject is among the strongest levels of kinjutsu within Konoha." Tsunade said curtly, eyes narrowing "This conversation is over."

"But, why didn't he tell m-"

"Out!" Tsunade snapped, causing Ino to flinch. She quickly left the office and the legendary medic sighed, slumping in her chair, cursing the Hokage's all over again. The Yondaime had caused his son a great deal of trouble, not that there had been another choice. Still the fact remained that Naruto would have to bear the burden of his father's actions, and she wasn't sure he was actually strong enough to handle such weight.

Shaking her head to dismiss her thoughts, she let out a heavy sigh, picking up a folder from the edge of her desk. Flipping the medical file open she stared at the medical history of Anko, before snapping it shut and dropping it on her desk. Tsunade knew she needed to get around to it, but she simply didn't have time to do both the autopsy and continue her research into curing Jiraiya, instead of continuing her stop-gap actions.

Sighing Tsunade realized that no matter what she had promised, she couldn't waste her time with it. Besides, they had interns for a reason and Jiraiya had already listed the cause of death and he wouldn't mistake such a notable lightning technique as the Shuurai no Jutsu. Calling out for the current intern serving as her assistant, Tsunade smiled as the young man entered the room nervously.

* * *

The Hokage's office was dark, empty, and silent despite the lone man seated in the large chair. The large desk of the Hokage held for the first time no papers or scrolls, only a small box of dango. This pack of dango was untouched however, and it would probably stay that way.

Kakashi had never liked dango; they were far too sweet in his opinion. The biggest reason however, would have to be that he'd grown up eating dango after his father's death. Unlike Naruto though, he'd never developed an obsessive appetite and that was probably for the best.

He was more of an eggplant person; he enjoyed the bitter taste for some reason. It could be tender when cooked, even developing a rich, complex flavor and best of all it let him avoid dinner parties since nobody really knew what to do with it. Eggplant was definitely his favorite food, but there was one instance where dango beat it.

Kissing Anko.

That was the one, _single_, instance where Hatake Kakashi enjoyed the taste of dango. Her lips always tasted of dango, always tasted sweet. It was an unexpected discovery every time, he could still remember the first time they had shared a kiss and how surprising it had been.

He had expected her to taste like sake, but she'd tasted _so_ sweet. Like her personality, she acted brash and hard, but in reality, she was sweet. A prime example would be her secret enjoyment of cuddling after having sex, she loved to nuzzle his shoulder and just curl up against him.

Kakashi looked at the dango before he looked away, out over the darkened village. For the first time since taking over the job of Hokage, he felt truly alone. Closing his eye, he sighed considering the apparent curse involved with the office. He had laughed it off when Ibiki mentioned it a year ago, but now he began to believe that every Hokage was cursed to lose the person they loved.

Shodai, Nidaime, Sandaime, Sensei...each had died alone and now so would he. Kakashi wondered, vaguely, if Naruto would experience the same thing. Most likely he would, it seemed an inescapable fate for anyone that would bear the title of Hokage.

Only a fool would want to be Hokage, only a damn fool.

* * *

Sake started with rice, which went through a milling process to remove the protein and oils from the exterior of the grain, leaving behind starch. From here, the starch was converted by certain enzymes caused by a mold called koji. Rice treated with koji became a kind of malt rice, and a yeast mash added to convert the sugars to ethanol.

This process greatly increased sake's alcohol content.

There were two basic types of sake; 'normal sake' and 'special designation sake'. The only difference between the two was just how polished the rice was, which directly affected how potent the drink became. 'Normal sake' made up the bulk of production, while 'special designation sake' was restricted to purification rituals.

Sake could be served warm or cold, and contained eighty-percent water. There were wise sayings of along the lines of 'First the man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes the man'. There was ways to use sake and increase the force of a fire.

Uzumaki Naruto knew all of these things for while he was not a genius, he did have a wide range of pointless and general facts memorized. Jiraiya had seen to that, had felt it prudent to make his student understand that a firm general knowledge of things could trump expert knowledge. Jiraiya also hammered into the boys head that sometimes the only way to appreciate something was to know facts about it.

So yes, Naruto knew all of those facts and many more, but the only thing he cared about was something the perverted Sannin had told him in Kiri. He had tried to ignore the man, tried to block him out, but that was impossible. Naruto had learned many things by osmosis, or by having it shouted at him over and over, but this had been a sentence Naruto knew to be profound truth and he'd memorized it.

'If the taste of sake ever becomes metallic, then you know something inside you is dying.'

Sitting on the wall that surrounded Konoha, oblivious to the falling snow and winter wind, he remembered that saying. Because he was holding a cup of half-finished sake in hand, staring at it, and had tasted something distinctly metallic in the normally delicious liquid. He'd bought the bottle not an hour ago -it was Anko's favorite brand- and he'd come here to toast the woman that had been so important to him.

Others might, of course, mark it off to not having a liking to the liquid. Naruto though, enjoyed the taste of sake and he did not drink it to get drunk -by now it took an unhealthy amount of sake to make him even little tipsy thanks to his metabolism-. He merely enjoyed the taste and drank it the way some people ate their favorite food or drank their favorite soft drink.

So he knew what sake should taste like and it should **_not_** taste like metal. Which meant something inside him was dying, but exactly what that was, he had no clue. All he knew was that Anko was dead, his sister, the woman that had trained and played such a large part in his life, was gone and he could do nothing about it.

Staring at the liquid, as snow drifted into contact with the liquid, he couldn't help but frown in contemplation of the day.

Ino had approached after hearing about Anko, maybe to offer sympathy, but they'd somehow ended up fighting again. He couldn't even be sure _why_ they had fought; just that they had and he was furious with himself for that. Then there was Kakashi, who Naruto knew to be Anko's lover, but had shown no emotion about the loss which had thoroughly pissed of Naruto and he wanted to confront the man, but it had to hurt him.

"You shouldn't drink alone."

"I'm not." Naruto answered, before glancing up in surprise as he registered the voice. Nisei stood there, staring down at him, still wearing his sunglasses. Gulping down the metallic tasting liquid Naruto blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"I figured you might need the company." Nisei answered with a faint shrug "Also, Kekio-chan has been bugging me to invite you over for dinner."

"Oi, that was lame." Naruto muttered, scowling up at the other man.

"Maybe, but the offer still stands." Nisei countered, lowering his chin to stare at Naruto over the top of his sunglasses. "I know your upset, but drinking alone is not a good idea."

"You're not going to back off are you?" Naruto asked, having decided that his mopping wasn't how he should be celebrating Anko's life, instead he needed to make some noise. Shaking his head Naruto climbed to his feet dusting his pants off. "Fine, but I'm telling you right now I'm not up for a threesome."

Nisei seemed to freeze before he cleared his throat "I, uhm, I will make that clear to Kekio-chan."

"Good." Naruto said, ignoring the odd reaction, clapping the other man on the shoulder before pouring the remainder of his sake over the wall saying a silent goodbye to Anko. Turning back to the other ninja he grinned widely in a mock-lecherous manner adding "Though if she's really pretty I could be talked into it."

* * *

_...December 1st, Konoha..._

It snowed.

Several inches of snow covered the ground and buildings, breath frosted in the air. It was the onset of true winter, though with the temperate weather of Hi no Kuni and Konoha in general, it would most likely melt sometime between tomorrow or the next day. Still, today marked the first day of winter and that from now on the weather would become somewhat fickle.

For many this was a time to stage snowball fights, to laugh and play. For others it was just another day in the year, without any significance other than it had snowed. For a small, detached group gathered in silence, it was a day of loss.

Shinobi funerals tended to be large affairs in Konoha due to an unspoken bond between those that put their lives on the line. Even if they didn't know you, Shinobi gathered to see you off. For those such as a Hokage, the entire village mourned and attended the funeral, but for this funeral those in attendance were fewer than expected and the genuine mourners numbered only seven.

Of those seven, when the funeral casket was lowered, the two eldest departed in silence. When the dirt had begun to tumble onto the casket with a dull echo, two more left -one with a sideways glance toward a remaining mourner-. When the grave had been filled completely and patted smooth, the youngest mourner departed, leaving only two.

Those two stood there for a very long time.

It snowed.

* * *

_December 2nd..._

The sky was still dark when Hanabi stepped outside, leaving behind the warmth of her house and room, and she took a moment to consider the pre-dawn village. The air was cold, burning the inside of her nose with each breath, but the sun would be up soon and the world warm once more. Considering that it would also mean what snow remained from yesterday would be gone, part of Hanabi found it a sad thought but she brushed it off.

Besides, she had a more pressing matter to deal with, namely that of finding Naruto: Hanabi had wanted to check up on him after the funeral, but failed to locate him. Nor was she the only one that had been looking for him, Hanabi had encountered both Ino and Hinata on their own searches, but as far as she knew nobody had found him. Eventually she'd been forced to concede to the need for sleep, but now that she was up it was time to renew her search.

Lifting her fingers, Hanabi concentrated her chakra and with a sharp exhale created three clones. It was the maximum she could manage; even with her amount of control the chakra requirements for three Kage Bunshin were a large stain. As the three took off, Hanabi let out a breath relaxing and then stepped out into the street heading for the first place she had looked yesterday hopeful that he'd be there this time.

As she made her way down the empty street she mused silently on her brother and Ino-neechan, from the way he had reacted the night he revealed his secret Naruto and Ino must have gotten into a fight. Hanabi mused silently on what exactly could have started the fight, it was actually the first real one she was aware of them having, so whatever it was had to be big. It could be that Ino had rejected him because of the Kyūbi, but that wasn't likely Hanabi decided.

Most likely whatever they were fighting about would be something she couldn't understand, but that wasn't saying much as Hanabi didn't really understand relationships. It wasn't that she didn't know what guys and girls did together: the academy had prepared them for _many_ eventualities, she had seen the Icha Icha books and she'd been dating Konohamaru. No she simply just didn't understand how people could fight, or fall out of love (which didn't seem possibly to her since she was still in love with Konohamaru), or why people made up.

Frustrated as well as suspecting that such thoughts led to madness Hanabi turned her mind away from thinking about such things. Which turned out to be a good idea as the memories of a Kage Bunshin reached her, alerting her to the fact that Naruto wasn't at Ichiraku ramen. As she passed the road that would have eventually taken her to the ramen stand, the memories of another Kage Bunshin reached her revealing that he was still not home.

A few blocks over, Hanabi changed streets heading to a more suburban area of the village, and the last of her Kage Bunshin reported that he was not on the Hokage Monument. Which left her current target and she sped up, hurrying onto a few more narrower streets before reaching one that barely qualified as a foot path. Behind her pale streaks of color were forming and the snow forced Hanabi to a slower pace.

The forest was silent and snow bound, enough so that you could forget you were in a village. The sound fo a bush rustling made her freeze, but then she chuckled as a deer fled from her intrusion, prompting Hanabi to chuckle and then continue on. A few more minutes of travel and the trail kinked one more time, before the trees thinned and she crossed into the clear where a stone cenotaph sat amidst suspiciously clear ground.

Crouching before it was an oblivious Naruto, wearing a jacket that supported a fist sized hole in the back. Moving closer, Hanabi noticed the grass was brittle from heat and that Naruto seemed to be doing something to the stone. Coming to a stop, she observed him for a moment before clearing her throat and addressing him. "Morning."

"Oh, hey Hanabi-chan." Naruto said, standing as he turned to glance at her, revealing a matching fist sized hole in the front of his jacket a few inches shy of his heart.

"May I ask what you're doing?" Hanabi asked, approaching and noting that the material around the hole was stained. Blood, Hanabi realized and wondered what had happened to him last night.

"Eh? Just adding that psycho's name to the stone." Naruto answered turning back to stare down at the stone.

"Ah." Hanabi said, staring up at him curiously, before asking "So why do you have a hole in your jacket?"

"Eh? Me and the Masked Perv had a talk last night." Naruto answered.

"I see." Hanabi said, fighting the urge to ask what sort of conversation could end with Naruto's jacket sporting a bloody hole a few inches away from his heart. Instead she focused her attention on the white stone, eyes moving to the newest name added. The letters were rougher than the others, but considering Naruto had used a kunai to carve it in that was to be expected, but what really struck her as odd was seeing 'Mitarashi Anko' listed among the dead.

Admittedly Hanabi's contact with the older woman had been limited, but it still didn't seem right. Especially in such an isolated area, from what she knew the only fitting death would have been for Anko to go out in a blaze of glory against Orochimaru. Mentally she wondered if Naruto was thinking something similar, but admitted silently he probably wasn't considering his obvious blasé attitude concerning death.

Further thoughts were disrupted as her peripheral vision registered sudden motion to her left, and she spun suddenly to face the intruder. The ANBU standing on the edge of the clearing didn't seem particularly disturbed by her sudden motions, and Hanabi realized that they had intentionally let her catch sight of him. It also became obvious from the lack of movement behind her that Naruto hadn't noticed the man yet, and Hanabi turned to stare at her oblivious sensei.

"Uzumaki-sama, Hanabi-san," the ANBU said starting forward "Please excuse the intrusion."

Naruto literally jerked at that, letting out a startled noise and spun to face the ANBU so quickly he stumbled slightly. A wave of worry washed through her, she had never seen Naruto react like that, a glance at the ANBU showed he had stopped as well. But then Naruto was in full motion, moving toward the ANBU ranting about 'sneaking up on people' and other senseless things while the other stood perfectly still.

Hanabi wasn't sure what to make of the reaction, was he merely goofing around or was Naruto serious about this?

"So, so, what the hell do you want?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms feet planted firmly. "Mask Perv send you to arrest me or something?"

"No." The ANBU answered, hesitating before his head tilted slightly "Why would you expect to be arrested?"

"Ehehe," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head, his posture now of uncertainty "No reason, just saying something...So, what brings you around?"

"Orders." The ANBU answered after a moment, producing a scroll from a hip-holder. "Kumo has invaded Nami no Kuni, we're unsure of what their intentions for trying to take the country are. We lucked out due to having several teams in-country when they first arrived, they bought enough time for more of our forces to be sent in."

"Uh, ok." Naruto said taking the scroll as Hanabi moved to stand beside him. "When did this happen?"

"The invasion began roughly a week ago, the intended reinforcements for the teams already in country started being deployed three days ago. The last of them left yesterday." The ANBU answered before lifting a shoulder in a half shrug "When the news of Mitarashi-senpai arrived the Hokage ordered the Jōnin Commander to delay your team's departure until after the funeral."

"Oh," Naruto responded, his tone faintly embarrassed. "Alright, we'll leave immediately."

"Good, the others of your team are being informed as we speak." The ANBU said, turning to leave before pausing "I'm sorry for you loss."

"Er...thanks?" Naruto answered, then once the man was gone sighed, glancing at her "You go on to our meeting point, I've gotta get another jacket and other stuff."

"Other stuff?" Hanabi echoed, her lips twitching into a smirk "Such as your ramen?"

"If you must know," Naruto said with a sniff as he lifted his chin proudly "I'm also going to be getting your sweets."

"Oh!" Hanabi said, eyes widening "Well that's entirely different!"

"Sure it is." Naruto said chuckling before he ruffled her hair fondly "See you at the gate Tsuru-chan."

"Don't forget my strawberry uirō, Aniki!" Hanabi called as he darted out of the clearing, leaving her alone. Worries momentarily forgotten Hanabi took one last look at the cenotaph before leaving as well, heading for the main street of Konoha and turned left, heading for her teams default departure gate. It was at times like this that Hanabi was proud to discover her habit of constantly being prepared for a mission which had been ridiculed by her previous team had finally paid off.

Then again, Hanabi wasn't the only member of the team that was constantly prepared for such things. Nisei and Ino were as well and Naruto carried around a seemingly bottomless hip-pouch of weapons and tools. Hurrying along the sparsely early morning street, Hanabi made another mental note to ask him for a similar hip-pouch of her own, before her thoughts promptly took on a darker shade as the enormity of the mission registered.

Kumo.

Her team was heading directly into combat against Kumo, another of the Great-Five. In a way she had grown used to risking her life in combat, but she had also quickly realized that the majority of the Oto ninja were barely Genin skill wise level. It was only their numbers, technology and lack of scruples that made them a threat to Konoha: Kumo ninja on the other hand would be something else entirely.

Hiashi had often spoken of Kumo ninja, warning her and Hinata of the, and while he was an ass he also knew what he spoke about concerning combat. How often had he said in his ominous tone that Kumo lost to Konoha in neither prestige nor skilled Shinobi? An involuntary chill raced up Hanabi's spine thinking about the new enemy, aware that she would be entering the dragons lair, but if she could survive against such enemy's she could finally consider herself a true Shinobi.

Suddenly rounding a corner, Hanabi saw her teams gate just as Naruto arrived next to a waiting Nisei and a pensive seeming Ino. Naruto pointedly ignored the other blond, engaging Nisei in a one sided conversation. Sighing Hanabi started toward her team, wondering yet again what had happened between Naruto and Ino to prompt this fight but she was equally uninterested in actually finding out, that would be too much information for her to deal with.

She was almost to them when she spotted Konohamaru and Kaede in deep conversation on the corner of a side-street, with Kaede's team standing nearby waiting. Slowing to a stop, Hanabi considered the situation with Konohamaru, where she was going, and decided that she did not want to die with any regrets. So decided, Hanabi squared her shoulders and head held high approached the unaware boy.

Kaede saw her first and a scowl filled her face, but Hanabi didn't care, her attention focused on the still oblivious Konohamaru. Coming to a stop just within arm's reach behind him, she cleared her throat prompting him to turn and stare at her in confusion.

"Hanabi?"

"Sarutobi Konohamaru," Hanabi stated with a tone of voice and a determined stare she normally reserved for her enemy "I believe there is something important we need to discuss before I leave for Nami no Kuni."

"Uhh, ok," Konohamaru said, looking justifiably worried "so what exactly do you want to talk ab-mppfh!"

Hanabi promptly cut him off him off by doing three things almost simultaneously; first she had grabbed the scarf around his neck and jerked him forward, second her other hand had clutched the back of his head and third she kissed him as intensely as she knew how. He of course thrashed his arms wildly in surprise and then about a minute into the kiss his own arms found their way around the small of her back to pull her close and began returning the kiss.

When they broke apart, blushing but not relinquishing their holds on each other, Hanabi promised to buy several copies of that Icha Icha series for future reference. After another moment she stepped away from Konohamaru, who stood there with a dreamy, ear-to-ear, grin on his face. Hanabi took a moment to straighten her somewhat ruffled clothes, and then addressed him in what passed for a calm tone. "I believe that is all I have to say at the moment, we will continue this conversation when I return."

"Okay, see you then." He managed in a dazed sort of tone and Hanabi nodded politely at a murderous looking Kaede, before turning to join her team. Wisely, she made it a point to ignore a grinning Naruto as he tossed her a travelling cloak, and a smirking Ino who ruffled her hair.

* * *

**AN: **

Just to forestall the wondering, yes Naruto and Kakashi got into a fight. Naruto started it, Kakashi put a Chidori through Naruto's chest and Naruto nailed Kakashi with a Rasengan, but the other managed to dodge enough so that it resulted in a few broken ribs rather than death. No, neither regrets their actions nor are they eager to do it again.


	29. Chapter 27: Desolation

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 27  
_-Desolation-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

Suna had been designed to remain hidden among the largely barren, rocky plateaus that covered the eastern part of Kaze no Kuni. The founding Kazekage had conceived of and created the most strategically defensible position possible, able to hold out for months with proper supplies. The key word of course being 'proper' supplies, since the Shodai Kazekage had never considered a siege while dealing with a Village Council that had spent decades under supplying the village for their own personal profit.

Despite that, the Kazekage had managed to hold the village together, especially after kicking them out of power. His tactics had worked, until Iwa began flooding the country with ninja. Initially, while problematic, they had held out but as time wore on the situation shifted. Soon they had ninja dying in droves, which led to lower morale and they encountered a 'supply and demand' problem.

Of course, they could have avoided that problem if refuges hadn't inundated the village. Even if they had shunted as many as they could to Kawa no Kuni, with the ninja or samurai that were on their last legs, things were grim. The current measures of half rations would fail soon and the morale would be hurt even more.

The Kazekage closed his eyes, hands pressing against his face, knowing the truth. While he had blamed the council, even allowed the villagers to take their frustrations out on them, this was his fault. His attempt at an alliance with Konoha had fallen through, they were embroiled in their own war, and raids had become too costly to continue.

Uncovering his eyes, the Kazekage stared at the reports on his desk once more, proclaiming mercilessly at the failure of his one chance at securing a reliable source of water. The teams he had sent to the Salt Flats, a source of water during the winter, southwest of the village were found mutilated, and the area under secure guard of Iwa ANBU.

With the loss of the Salt Flats, dwindling forces and supplies, and Gaara missing the village was going to fall. He could delay it; maybe, stretch it for another month at best but it would fall. He had no options left, unless he wanted to stage a mass evacuation of Suna, relocating them to Kawa no Kuni.

The Kazekage wouldn't give a single ryou for their odds if he tried that.

Knocking the reports off his desk, the Kazekage smashed his fist against his desk in frustration. He had not gained power simply to lose it, especially not after taking sole authority. He refused to admit defeat, there had to be some solution that he was overlooking, some way of holding out.

Standing up, the Kazekage began pacing his office, clutching hands behind his back. He had not sacrificed his wife, his legacy, his daughter for nothing. He refused to accept that, there had to be something he could do, he would _not_ relinquish his village! But how, how could he keep it, when he had no options left?

Pausing before the map hanging on his wall, he studied it intently. If they could secure some sort of supply line, then it would be possible to fight against Iwa. Yet no matter how many times he looked at the map, he saw no such area that could be secured, but his eyes inexorably returned to Kawa no Kuni and the Isen River.

Stepping closer, he ran his finger along the snaking path of blue that fed out into the ocean, and his eyes drifted to the peninsula Cha no Kuni. He could send envoys to the country for supplies, ones that they could seal into carefully preapred scrolls so that they could bring them back with little fuss. But he would have to pull what ninja and samurai he had left away from their patrols further north and south to secure this route for usage since he was unwilling to risk the supplies.

That didn't even take into account that it would take at least a month for the whole deal to begin. That would use up what little resources they had. Turning eyes away from that possibility, he studied the map for a moment before pausing: Several miles to the southeast there was a canyon, but at one time it had been a river bed for a minor tributary of the Isen River.

The river had dried up because of a natural disaster, cutting the flow off, but it might be possible to create a new source…or divert another tributary river within Kawa no Kuni to the river bed. Of course, this was all in the hopes that Iwa didn't notice and annihilate them.

But he had options now; he would send several ANBU teams to see about the river bed, while envoys were sent to Cha no Kuni. It wasn't a perfect solution and the risks were high, but at least now he had a chance at keeping his village safe, plus with the fewer mouths to feed the supplies could be made to last just a fraction longer.

The Kazekage nodded, placing his hands behind his back, studying the map.

The war was not over, not by a long shot.

* * *

_Miyako, Capital of the Kusa Empire. Kirin Castle, bedchamber of the Daimyo..._

:

:

Hittori did not blame his fate on others or on the gods; he accepted it as his own burden. If things worked for him, then they did so and if they did not then there was no need to rave or lay blame. Fate happened without regard to how you desired things to happen, but in whatever way it deemed inscrutably best.

Still, the Daimyo of Kusa could not help but feel that someone else was manipulating his fate. Hittori might have considered his brother, Noga, but the man was locked in a mansion north-west of the former Tsume no Kuni. He could also discount Noga's mother, the spiteful woman, currently resided in the same mansion as well.

It had been the best solution; killing his brother would have raised questions from the public and would have caused a substantial threat to the sealing. So Hittori had made arrangements, Noga and his mother would spend the rest of their lives in the mansion far removed from the country.

He was distracted from his thoughts, wandering though they were, when Sazuko's talented fingers found an extremely tight knot of muscle in his shoulders. He grunted in appreciation as she expertly worked the knot out. He tried to relax, but as he had suspected the massage was proving futile; he had only allowed it because he had never been able to deny one of her massages.

"Hitt-chan, you're not relaxing." Sazuko said with a hint of a pout in her voice.

"Sorry, I'm just preoccupied." Hittori responded, grunting again as her fingers returned to their dutiful work. Turning his mind away from the beautiful woman massaging him, he focused instead on his crumbling plans. For the last few months, as the war turned more and more in the favor of Tsuchi, he had struggled with how to salvage his plans.

Unfortunately there seemed to be no way, Tsuchi would win the war with Kaze in another month or so and their attention would shift to a new target. Taki no Kuni would be next and after that, Tsuchi would spear head a pincer invasion on Hi no Kuni, and while he had managed to keep his beloved Kusa out of the previous war, that was one he could not remain neutral in.

"Hitt-chan," Sazuko said softly, interrupting his thoughts, and he turned his head toward her. Seeing she had his attention she knelt next to his shoulder, stroking his head softly "tonight does not seem to be a massage night."

"Sorry," the Daimyo said sitting up to face her, gaze pensive "but things are not going as well as they need to be."

"Maybe I could help?"

"I don't think-" Hittori started, then paused, staring at her in surprise. How could he have forgotten, his Sazuko had been a high ranked Kumo ANBU at one time. "Yes, yes you might be able to."

"Good." She said with a bright smile before turning serious "so, what's the problem?"

Hittori took a breath and started laying out the details, giving her more insight into his plans than he had ever shared with anyone before. He went into everything and Sazuko listened in silence, never interrupting until finally he finished. They both sat in silence, Hittori studying her, and she deep in thought about the situation.

"Perhaps you should modify your plans somewhat." Sazuko said at last, meeting his gaze with a firm self-assurance "Tsuchi has conquered Kaze, month or no month, but you're forgetting that they do not control Suna. Eventually that village will fall, but not before inflicting heavy losses against their enemy. Then of course, Tsuchi will begin moving against Taki no Kuni but they will suffer even heavier losses since that country has _never_ been successfully invaded."

"But-"

"Let me finish," Sazuko said, cutting him off crisply "So you should _allow _Tsuchi to war as they wish, because their swarming tactics will fail when they hit Taki. By this point Konoha and Kumo will have entered into an alliance against Oto, since you've heard through your numerous sources that's who Oto has enlisted as their current ally."

"Why would Kumo switch alliances?" Hittori asked, raising an eyebrow. It was odd seeing this side of Sazuko; normally she was like window dressing. But Hittori supposed he shouldn't be surprised, she had been a Kumo ANBU and Jōnin for most of her life prior to marrying him and leaving her village.

"The Raikage cannot trust Orochimaru, and is most likely using this only to further long standing Kumo agenda of taking out Kiri." Sazuko said with a shrug, "once that happens and with Tsuchi greatly weakened you can choose your moment to strike. Once you've conquered Tsuchi you can allow the rest of your plans to unfold in their proper course."

"Ah," Hittori managed, considering her plans "What of Oto?"

"Konoha would have easily crushed them by now if not for the Kumo distraction and their new toys. Once Kumo turns against Oto, the problem will be resolved." Sazuko paused grinning "The alliance will only last between Konoha and Kumo for as long as there is an outside threat. Once that is dissolved they will resume their natural balance."

"The only problem is Tsuchi. If you are mistaken-" Hittori paused, seeing her eyes narrow and he held a hand up. "It is possible Sazuko. If Tsuchi does manage to claim Taki before the Konoha-Kumo alliance forms then it's all for not. Tsuchi in full war mode would be unbeatable by our forces."

"Then the answer is simple," Sazuko offered with a grin "Leak a false rumor of revolt led by key figures in their satellite country Yama no Kuni and their newly acquired land. This will play on the paranoia of the Daimyo and the Tsuchikage who will have to investigate and when they find the evidence they will have to act."

"True. Their paranoia will make even the innocent look guilty," Hittori said, nodding. "It will force them to delay their plans for Taki, since no country would risk war while they had revolt at home."

"Now once the time is right, you'll need something to garner the public's support." Sazuko said thoughtfully, before smiling, "an assassination attempt would be perfect. You are the most beloved man in Kusa, stage a public attempt and then after it fails, start an investigation. When the time is right, you can proclaim the investigation to reveal Tsuchi behind the plot and you can strike with all of our resources."

"Sazuko-chan, you are more devious and crafty than I would have ever imagined." Hittori said, returning her smile, as he examined the plans she had just given him. It could work, it would work he was sure of it. Once Tsuchi was conquered he could sit back and wait, the rest of his plans could work at their own pace and he would eventually have a world to call his own.

"Thank you my lord." Sazuko said, inclining her head "Do I receive a prize for my valuable counsel?"

"I suppose so," Hittori said, grinning still "what do you want?"

"Ah, well then," she said, suddenly lunging to shove him over onto his back. A moment later she had him pinned, hands on either side of his head and her legs straggling his waist as her loose kimono fell partway open. "I want you, my lord."

Hittori briefly considered saying something but she engaged him in a kiss and he decided to focus on that instead.

* * *

_Otogakure no Sato..._  
:

:

Orochimaru had always preferred subterranean lairs, for both his personal lab and his home, partly because he had little trust for the outside world and partly becasue it was virtually impossible to enter such places without gaining his attention. Otogakure no Sato was no different from any other place he had called home, only more elaborate and dangerous, ensuring a greater amount of security than what could normally be found.

For Mitarashi Anko it was home in a way that Konoha had never been, nor could have been. In Oto there was no undercurrent of resentment or reluctant acceptance, those few Oto ninja that she had encountered accepted her presence without hesitation and treated her with great respect. Though they were still fearful of her, that at least was no different; something familiar, and she enjoyed it in a way that she had never allowed while she had been living in Konoha.

Walking the semi-dark corridors, passing through the isolated pools of orange light, Anko mused further on the differences between her time in Konoha and her current village. It was amazing how once your mind woke up, things changed. It was liberating to be yourself and no longer have to pretend to be someone else: now that she was back to her true self Anko had no more guilt about those she had killed, no more anger or hate toward the man that had taken her in and loved her for whom she was.

Part of her loathed remembering how she had cowered and sacrificed her pride for the village's forgiveness. Anko hated them, hated the village, hated being forced into such a subservient role and she looked forward to getting her revenge for that. Pausing in a gap between the light, Anko tugged at the collar of her outfit, trying to let some more air in, after her meeting with Orochimaru she had been devoting her time to training, trying to get a sense of how her Heaven Seal affected her techniques.

It was a grueling process, leaving her sweaty and tired, but Anko needed to know her new limits.

Sighing, she started forward once more, heading toward her room and a cool shower at least until she spotted Kabuto, who offered a cheerful smile. It irked Anko slightly that she saw Kabuto more often than she did Orochimaru, but she understood her Oro-sensei's reasons for caution. After all, she _was _a viper, her nature was indiscriminate and he would wait until he knew for sure where her loyalty truly lay before they interacted on a more personal basis.

"Anko-sama," Kabuto said, meeting her halfway "I have some good news."

"What, I get to do something other than train?"

"Yes." Kabuto said, nodding, "As you know Orochimaru-sama entered into an alliance with a certain member of Akatsuki. Well, we've received word that they have regained Sasuke-kun and are moving toward keeping their end of the bargain."

"Great." Anko managed, staring at him blankly "What exactly _is _their end?"

"Simply, in exchange for Sasuke they provide Orochimaru-sama with a new set of Sharingan, one more controllable." Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses "There was a second Uchiha to survive the massacre three years ago."

"I missed that memo." Anko said, staring at him shrewdly. As far as anyone in Konoha knew, the only survivor was Sasuke.

"Blame it on the Hyūga." Kabuto offered, shrugging, before grinning, "In light of this news, Orochimaru has decided that it's time to move some of his plan forward."

Anko nodded, wondering what she was about to get involved in and looking forward to finally doing something. Kabuto seemed to sense this and rather than waste further words, turned gesturing for her to come with him. Anko fell into step, musing on the deal she had learned about: It would be the worst nightmare for Konoha, someone like Orochimaru in the body of a Sharingan user. Anko felt like laughing her head off at such a concept, would serve those fools right.

Still, she didn't feel comfortable with the arrangement, Akatsuki were not on her list of trustworthy people.

_"They're after Naruto. It's for his safety." _

Anko blinked away the odd snatch of conversation, along with the faint pang of unhappiness that accompanied it. That belonged to another Anko; she didn't care what they did to the runt. Not one bit. It did bother her, though, to have such thoughts and feelings since she shouldn't feel anything toward Naruto or Kakashi.

"So what exactly does O-sama want from me?" Anko asked, glancing at the man who didn't miss a step at her address of the man. She was probably the only person in Oto that could get away with that.

"It's simple, while we wait for Karin and Suigetsu to return with our prize we're reforming the Sound Four." Kabuto said, bringing them to a stop in front of a double set of doors "Orochimaru-sama has designated you as the team leader and it'll be your responsibility to form them into a cohesive unit."

"Oh joy," Anko managed, frowning at the man "which losers do I get on my team?"

"Guren, Gozu, and Ishidate."

"That's only three." Anko deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.

"You're the fourth," Kabuto said with a cheerful grin "Orochimaru decided to balance this team better than the previous version."

"Whatever," Anko muttered and turning away, opened the door entering a vaulted room that branched off into seven passages. In between the hissing torches that gave off an uneven, shimmering light, were shadowy walls covered with carved spiraling lines. Symbols for the sun and thus 'life-death-rebirth', a kind of immortality for which Orochimaru was constantly searching.

Gathered in a pool of the shimmering light were three individuals: a blue haired woman wearing a fur lined brown kimono, the standard rope belt, and two men; one of average build, wearing a blue-black armor with a yin-yang symbol in the chest and an oddly glowing gauntlet. The other was a tall, hulking brute dressed in grubby brown clothes, and short black hair.

"Hiya guys," Anko said, smiling as they looked at her, "I'm Mitarashi Anko and as of now you are all my bitches." Pausing, she pointed at the woman and winked "Especially you sweet cheeks. You're my _special _bitch."

* * *

_Konoha, Private Office of the ANBU Commander..._

:

:

Tenzo pushed away from his desk and the report from 'Sai', aware of the noose that was tightening around his neck. Things were getting worse, much worse than Tenzo could have imagined, and he feared what that meant for the cause. The inner-circle of Unity was pulling apart, each making their own bids for more power and authority; they had yet to openly defy his own authority, but it would happen soon and it would tear Unity apart.

"Sai, are you sure this is accurate information?" Tenzo asked, looking at the androgynous young man.

"I double-checked all the sources." Sai said, without a hint of emotion. "It is all accurate."

"I was afraid of that." Tenzo muttered, gaze drifting to the report once more. The investigation into the assassination of Neji was still underway, and Tou'u still insisted on using that unstable loyalty seal. Who exactly were infected, nobody other then Tou'u knew and she was not about to share that information.

Not that it was the worst of the problems, apparently Kazuma and Setio were each set on increasing the growing distrust toward Unity.

It was only a matter of time before Tsunade found out that Kazuma was the one responsible for continuing the research into those cursed seals from Orochimaru, which in turn meant that the Hokage would soon know as well. The only question was if they would learn of Kazuma before or after they learned of Setio and his insane plan to assassinate Homura and Koharu and blame the village council.

"Sai," Tenzo asked, running a hand over his face "are you sure that you sent enough teams to stop this plan of Setio's?"

"I believe so, though I did plan on joining in on the mission as well." Sai said his voice flat and emotionless "I believe the enemy shall be Yasashige Isaribi, formerly of Kiri's Seven Swordsmen."

"The Elegant Beast? Possible, but I hope not." Tenzo said, before shaking his head "Kazuma has plenty of missing-nin to make use of. I personally saw to that month's ago."

"You did as you thought best."

"Maybe," Tenzo said, waving a hand almost dismissively at the concept. This whole war was his fault; he had long ago accepted that as his responsibility. The only thing he could do now was stay the course and try to divert the disaster rushing toward them to preserve the dream of Unity.

They had to achieve Unity.

However, for the dream to become a reality, he had to solve the problem of the inner-circle and fast. Leaning back into his chair, Tenzo closed his eyes, thinking hard. The group had become too splintered, broken down like this he could not exert enough control over the group.

Nevertheless, Danzou's orders had made it clear that this was the only way for Unity to survive. Tenzo couldn't see how though, perhaps that was his fault; he was not half the mastermind that Danzou had been. All he knew was that all it had accomplished was to make the Hokage more suspicious and distrustful, that it created a schism within Konoha among the ninja.

Tenzo could only see one solution, he had to pull the group back together, had to restore Unity to a single entity. Even if it meant going against the last order from Danzou, he would have to unite Unity before he could unite the country. Doing so, though, that would be the difficult part, the inner-circle would fight him every step of the way.

Indeed, it was possible that they could manage to sway enough support from their own splintered groups to remove him. If that were to happen, then Unity would die a painful and humiliating death of that he was sure. So he would have to strike preemptively, ferret out as much information as he could and use it to his advantage.

"Sai," Tenzo said, looking at the young man once more "I want you to contact every Ne member not otherwise engaged in other operations, as well as any member of Unity we can trust to be truly loyal. I need information, every scrap I can get, because it's now apparent that we will have to remove the inner-circle."

"As you command."

"Dismissed." Tenzo said, before adding as the boy disappeared into the shadows of an ink painting "And good luck."

* * *

_Kaminari no Kuni, Five Miles from the Sea Port..._

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:

Yugito could feel a chill crawling up her spine, slow and delicate, as she made her way toward the nearby shrine. The others were safely tucked away in their shelter for the night, waiting for the morning when they would set out for Nami no Kuni, adding more force to already overwhelming numbers. But for Yugito that was secondary, because she had become aware of a shadowy presence watching her.

Yugito knew who it was, even without seeing them; she had been expecting them ever since Naruto had warned her years ago: Akatsuki.

Rounding the curve of the path, which gave her a magnificent view of the night sea, she passed beneath the Torii. A little further in, her steps both echoing and muffled by the paved yard, she paused. The presence was still there, it had followed her, it was waiting to see what she did next and Yugito grinned.

Turning, she faced the darkness beyond the Torii, hands resting at her sides. "I know you're there."

A moment later two figures emerged, a man and a woman, each dressed in cloaks. Despite the paleness of the light, or maybe because of it, the woman struck Yugito as more haunting than should be possible. The only other outstanding feature she could see was the large scythe slung carelessly over the man's shoulder.

"Not bad," the man said, his tone cheerful "hehe, this should be fun huh Konan?"

"I am merely here to observe." Konan answered coldly. "As I was commanded Hidan, this shall be your battle."

"Fine. Watch as I show you the glory of Jashin." Hidan spat, lifting prayer beads to his lips.

Yugito struck then, as the beads touched his lips, hurling a kunai at the man. The projectile was promptly deflected by the scythe, before it flew toward her; sadly while it looked impressive the triple bladed weapon had no speed. Gauging the distance, mindful of the weak nightlight, Yugito dodged back allowing the blades to embed themselves into the courtyard.

"I'm not done with my prayers to Jashin!" Hidan shouted "I seriously get pissed off if you interfere with my prayer, which is bad since I'm already pissed off from having this mission which is completely against my religion and had to travel with that idolater!"

"Idolater, Hidan?" Konan asked, sounding only mildly interested.

"Fuck yeah!" Hidan shouted, glaring at her "you and that false god of yours, I promise that once I've unleashed the full glory of Jashin, I'll bring that false god down!"

"Oh." Konan said, but even in the dim light of the stars Yugito saw the small shift in countenance. Whatever help this Hidan could have expected from the woman had just disappeared, leaving Yugito free to focus entirely on Hidan. No sooner had Hidan resumed his prayers than she lunged forward, passing the embedded scythe.

The Akatsuki agent registered her move a moment later, and his eyes widened as she closed the distance. A flick of his wrist told her his plan, as did the noticeable whistle from behind and Yugito reacted quickly. She hit the ground, hands just past the shoulders and knees just touching the surface, Yugito allowed the weapon to pass over her.

Muscles coiling, Yugito pounced like a cat might; the timing would be close but she could manage it. Hidan caught his weapon and began to pivot just as Yugito reached him, unfortunately his pivot made her miss his neck by scant inches. This in turn meant she exposed her back to attack, and the timing now would be even closer: Landing with her left foot, she sprang backward into a tight horizontal flip, just as the scythe whistled through the space she had just occupied.

Landing in a crouch, with one leg kicked out to the side, Yugito sprang toward his unprotected flank landing a left side-kick to the ribs followed by grabbing a fist full of his hair and jerked sharply, driving his nose into her rising knee. As he reeled back, dazed from the furious onslaught, Yugito began forming only recently learned hand seals. Reaching the final seal her molded chakra gave form to the crackling bolt of lightning that took the shape of a dragon, which rushed toward the Akatsuki agent.

The Lightning Dragon veered slightly, forcing her to exert her control to ensure it struck the proper target.

Hidan had just enough time to regain his bearings before the ninjutsu hit him, the dragon of lightning plunging through his torso before continuing its path into the forest. The excess lightning crackled and danced along his form, filling the air with the scent of charred flesh. The Akatsuki agent remained upright for a moment before he toppled sideways.

Yugito felt her hands trembling; she had never performed such a powerful ninjutsu before and it was only thanks to Kirābī decided to teach it to her out of pity that she knew it. Breathing heavily, Yugito turned her attention toward Konan, wondering what reaction this would prompt. The woman simply stared back at her, her face impassive as best Yugito could tell, leaving Yugito to wonder why.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Head snapping around, Yugito felt her eyes widen in disbelief as Hidan sat up, rubbing the back of his head. Impossible, there was no way he could have taken that attack and survived, it had to be a trick. Using the hilt of his scythe, he regained his feet laughing even harder.

"I'm, hahaha, sorry, ohehehehe, but you should have seen the look on your face." Hidan managed between bouts of laughter while hefting his scythe to rest over his shoulder. "I love seeing that look."

"Impossible." Yugito murmured, staring at the gaping hole in the man. There had to be some sort of trick or something, because nothing living could have survived that attack.

"I'm the chosen of Jashin!" the man said, lifting his weapon to point at her "So it's fuckin' possible."

Yugito began to respond before she registered Hidan charging her, scythe slashing through the air. Yugito dodged back, bowing her body to avoid the triple blades, and then jumped to gain some distance between her and the monster. She couldn't risk going back on the offensive until she knew what exactly she was dealing with.

Landing, Yugito nimbly avoided another slash, before she ducked beneath a back swing aimed at her neck. Twisting side-to-side Yugito slipped two rapid downward chops and with a back flip managed to avoid another slash at her mid-section. Landing she found herself both breathing hard and staring at the man in reluctant awe, the scythe might be a slow weapon when thrown but when Hidan swung it there was nothing slow about it.

Hidan for his part, was staring at her in what she could only assume was thoughtfulness, scythe held absently at his side. A moment later his arm raise and he began spinning the scythe over his head, building momentum and with each swing the arc expanded outward. However, despite the dread building within her, Yugito watched intently, something nagging at the back of her mind.

As the air began to whine from the momentum of the swinging blades, Yugito felt the nagging grow stronger. When dust and nearby rocks began to swirl into the air from the spinning weapon, the nagging gave way to a vague notion about the weapon itself. There was something wrong with it; the scythe simply didn't feel right to her for some reason.

Yugito forgot her thoughts a second later when the triple bladed weapon sailed toward her. Yugito She leapt to the side, studying the weapon as it soared past on its trajectory. As her feet touched the ground, Yugito turned her attention toward the wielder, and realized her mistake.

In the seconds it took for her to react, Hidan had covered the distance between them. Yugito registered the spike plunging toward her stomach and out of instinct swung a hand out to grasp the shaft, shoving it away from her. Twisting from the momentum, Yugito spun planting a sidekick to his face sending him hurtling way from her.

Panting, Yugito quickly retreated to a safe distance, eying her opponent warily. Hidan was already on his feet and had tugged the cable connected to his scythe, retrieving it. What truly worried Yugito however, was that strange leer she could faintly see on his face, why did he look so happy?

Growling in frustration, she swept her hands back and began unloading her kunai and shuriken at the man. The scythe responded without hesitation, sending many spinning back toward her, while scattering others that exploded moments later as the attached blast notes went off. Yugito barely had time to register the failure of her attack before Hidan charged her once more, triple-bladed scythe whistling through the air.

Ducking and dodging, conscious of the fact that each escape came with narrower gaps, Yugito hurled several caltrops at the man's face. As expected, despite apparently being immortal, he flinched and his attack faltered allowing Yugito to find another weapon. Finding nothing, she swore resuming her efforts at dodging as Hidan resumed his offensive.

Yugito made a silent vow that if she survived this encounter to begin carrying more weapons than the standard packs. Catching sight of a stone lantern in her peripheral vision, Yugito grinned as a plan formed in her mind. Diving toward the stone outcropping, she landed in a crouch and then pivoting pushed off as the scythe stuck the obstruction.

It wasn't much but it did slow the weapon, allowing her to close the distance while pulling on the chakra from the Nibi to enhance her senses. Yugito registered the thrusting spear almost before it began, and pivoting smashed her forearm against the hand and then using the momentum slammed an elbow into Hidan's face. A minute later, she jumped and grabbed his head, twisting her body in mid-flip to create a loud crack as his neck snapped.

Releasing the head as she landed behind him, she planted a spinning sidekick to the small of his back. It was only as the body toppled from the vicious attack, that she sensed the incoming scythe. Shifting her weight, Yugito fell backwards only to realize that the momentum would cause the scythe to fall short and impale her shoulder.

Lashing out with a hand, she knocked the falling scythe away from her, mentally cursing as she felt the faint sting of the blade. Regaining her feet, breathing heavily she turned her attention toward the other Akatsuki agent, only to find the woman mysteriously missing. Irritated and wary she turned back to the motionless form of Hidan, only to find him sitting up and twisting his head back into position with a sickening snap.

Anger spiking, the Nibi's chakra poured off her as she formed the hand seal for a second ninjutsu attack. Chakra boiling and crackling as she molded it to the nature element, Yugito brought the palms of her hands together condensing the sphere of sickly purple lightning. A moment later Yugito released the ball and vaulted backwards, timing it so that as she touched down the sphere of lightning exploded unleashing numerous bolts of lightning.

The blast lit up the night, forcing Yugito to shield her eyes and turn away, a second before the concussive shockwave fanned outward knocking her over. Recovering in a crouch, Yugito gritted her teeth, peeking through her fingers and squinting eyes trying to see if her enemy was still alive. As the blinding light finally faded, the Kumo Jōnin cautiously stood up, taking in the far-reaching devastation she had wrought with a dark pride.

Yugito had obliterated the courtyard, leaving a deep crater in its place; she had also demolished half of the shrine. The scent of scorched ozone hung thick in the air, and fires danced among the sacred trees that had been unfortunate enough for the lightning to touch. Nothing, not even her love Naruto, could have _survived_ such a blast.

"Ooooh, now you're getting into the spirit!" a familiar voice said, seconds before a sharp stabbing pain made Yugito collapse to a knee. Tears of pain forming the Jōnin looked around for her attacker desperately, unable to believe he could still be alive. A moment later she had to accept such an event, because perched on top of the undamaged part of the shrine, she found Hidan.

His tattered cloak fluttered around him, while his spear jutted up proudly through his own thigh. Noticing her attention his wrist twisted the spear, and Yugito cried out as the pain flooded through her. Another stabbing pain shot through her, radiating this time from her shoulder, which fell limply to the side.

"Unbearable, isn't it? This ecstasy of suffering!" Hidan cried out, in the deepest joys of ecstasy. "It fills me so, savor this taste of suffering with me."

Another stab of pain arched through Yugito, forcing her body to collapse completely. It was hard to think through the pain, coming quicker and quicker. Curling into a ball she cried out, the coppery taste of blood worming its way into her pain-addled mind, even as her body cried out for desperate relief.

"Ah, the suffering. Praise Jashin infidel, for this taste of his bounty." Hidan cried out; voice rising high into the night "The sweet suffering of friends and the agony of strangers!"

Yugito tried to block his voice out, tried to block out the pain and the blood, turning her mind toward one singular task. Slumbering deep inside her soul, was a being of vengeance and of death. One that she had not consciously confronted since her training, but it was her only salvation; the Nibi would have to release its power on its own.

The closer she got, the more her body went away, until at last, she stood before the flickering blue form of the cat. The towering red Torii, with its glowing seals holding the beast at bay did nothing to hide the disdainful gaze the Nibi directed at her. Yugito met that gaze with complete resolution, opening her body to its power.

The Nibi flooded her senses, sweeping her under in a riptide of unbridled power, consuming her mind.

Eyes snapping open, Yugito's body twisted and creaked as the blackish-blue chakra formed its swirling mesima form around her. An instant later Yugito lunged to her feet, a chakra paw smashing through the portion of the roof where her tormenter had resided. Roaring as she spotted the descending mote that had dared harm her; she swept her charka arm around slamming into the figure hard.

A roar echoed through the air as her shell completed its formation, as a blast wave of tainted chakra exploded outward. Leaving the Nibi towering over the ruins of the shrine, its unholy vengeance threatening to drown the host that clawed desperately to gain control over the power. Registering the faintest of movement from her attacker, both demon and host reacted as one, and with a hiss of fury pounced on her prey, smashing him into the ground with a massive chakra paw.

A moment later Neko-Yugito opened her mouth, staring mercilessly down at the trapped figure, and unleashed her most powerful spectral blast.

:

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An hour later, when the ninja from her camp arrived they found Yugito sitting on the edge of a newly created cliff-face, whistling a haunting tune, and twirling a necklace around her finger.


	30. Chapter 28: Wave

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Volume 4: Cry of the Brave  
Chapter 28  
_-Wave-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

Naruto hated snow, hated it in a way that few people could hate weather. It was not the same hate that most people used so casually when they really meant 'annoyed' or 'inconvenient', this was hate in its truest form. This was the hate Jiraiya felt toward rain, Anko toward Orochimaru, or even Orochimaru toward death.

Uzumaki Naruto from the deepest part of his soul hated snow. Friends in Yuki no Kuni had died in snow, a princess had sacrificed her life in snow, they had buried Anko in snow and now they were marching toward mounting death in more snow. Indeed the only things he could list that he hated _more*_ than snow were Orochimaru, Karin, and the Four Divine Thunder bastard that had killed Anko.

While Naruto didn't know which of the Four Thunders were guilty of her death, he swore there would be retribution. Naruto would rip the man's still beating heart from his chest and- and- Naruto wasn't sure, his anger made it hard to think of what he would do next after that point.

Not that it mattered; all that did matter was that Naruto knew there would be no mercy for the son of a bitch.

"Naruto," Hanabi's soft voice offered, drawing him from his dark thoughts and he glanced at the younger girl. Seeing his attention she smiled faintly. "I've been counting my techniques."

"Oh?" Naruto asked, quirking an eyebrow, struck by nostalgia; he hadn't done that since travelling to Yuki no Kuni. Mostly that was due to being in a hurry to make up for lost time, three months in a coma really set a person back after all.

"I've counted sixteen," Hanabi said, quirking an eyebrow "Which is more than most ninja my age or rank. It makes me wonder, why should we know so many techniques? We generally only use five, at most."

"Ah," Naruto managed, grinning at her "A ninja has to be prepared for anything. You never know what you'll need. I mean I'll probably never need to use most of my techniques, but I still know them."

"Oh."

"Besides," Naruto added, quoting Jiraiya "sometimes the only way to beat something is to know how it's done."

"I see." Hanabi said, nodding. A few minutes passed and then she spoke up once more "Sensei, how many techniques do you know?"

"Uh," Naruto blinked before he scratched his head, scowling in thought. That was honestly a good question, how many _did*_ he know? Geez, should he count the Sealing Techniques or the Kinjutsu he knew? He spent several minutes trying to figure out the exact number, and then shrugged estimating. "Sixty-seven, but that includes everything."

"Wow," Hanabi said, almost smirking "I thought you would know more."

"Smart-ass." Naruto muttered, elbowing her into a snow bank. At her unlady-like squawk, he laughed, watching as she pulled herself out of the bank and glare at him. Nisei chuckled, and then continued on with Ino in tow, leaving Naruto and Hanabi to bring up the rear.

They walked for a few minutes in silence, with Hanabi shaking her leg to clear the snow from her shoe, and Naruto was reminded strangely of his time as a Genin under Anko. The sudden memory of the woman made his chest tighten, the pang of loss washing over him. Seeing Hanabi's worried look, he quickly hid the emotion.

Naruto didn't want to deal with Hanabi worrying about him, or the others. Best to think about something else, unfortunately the first thing that came to mind wasn't much better. Ino was weighing on his mind and he wanted to consider their relationship, as well as their conversation, about as much as he wanted to think about Anko's death.

Setting thoughts of Ino aside, he focused instead on their objective; to reach their assigned base of operations. It had taken about a week to arrive at the 'Great Bridge' connecting Hi no Kuni to Nami no Kuni, and then another three days to reach the 'Induction Point'. They'd wasted a day there, as various units and groups received orders to their new postings 'in-country'.

For Naruto's team that would be Zone 6, one of two Zones considered the front lines.

So far they had spent a total of eleven, going on twelve, days and they were only now getting in range of their post. Once they checked in they could crash for longer than a few hours before they set out on whatever operations the Regional Commander wanted them to perform.

"There's the sign." Nisei said, alerting Naruto and he looked around before seeing the concealed location markers.

They indicated that they were to break off here and take a path through the forest, heading up the hill. The team moved in unison without further orders, and Naruto felt some hope for their commander since putting your base on a hill granted several tactical advantages, not the least of which was advanced warning of attacks. A moment later the four of them rotated positions, since the information gatherers needing to be in the lead so they didn't get lost.

"Aniki," Hanabi said almost immediately after they were in the rear, and her use of that word drew his prompt attention "could you teach me a new technique later?"

"Which one?"

"The Rasengan?" Hanabi asked hopefully as she met his gaze.

Naruto echoed her request, startled; he had never considered teaching her the move. Not that there was a reason to withhold it from her, but he still hesitated. After all Hanabi didn't have the chakra to really perform the move, hell she might never have the required chakra to complete it. More than that, he'd always thought of it as something he would teach his children if he should ever get around to having any.

He silently weighed her up, noting the mixture of apprehension and expectation on her face. He did consider her his younger sister, so the argument about it being a family technique didn't fly, but he still wasn't entirely comfortable with teaching it to her. "I don't know."

Hanabi opened her mouth, most likely to protest, when they exited the forest and entered the buffer zone, an empty space of twenty feet between the base and trees. After that their attention focused to something else, namely their base, an abandoned fortress with battered walls made of stone and earth that looked as if it would fall to the first siege that came its way.

"They're kidding." Ino muttered, just loud enough for the others to hear her.

"I highly doubt it." Nisei offered dryly. "I suppose we should report in."

"Before the place crumbles." Hanabi added softly, as they fanned out and started toward the battered gate.

"Halt." An unknown voice commanded, before a pair of similar looking ninja seemed to materialize just head of them. The one of the left, adjusted his glasses stepping forward. "Names?"

"Yamanaka Ino."

"Besshu Nisei."

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uzumaki Hanabi."

Naruto blinked and looked at Hanabi strangely, noting that Ino and Nisei were doing so as well.

"I'm not familiar with that name," the man said flatly, staring at her, as his partner subtly slipped a kunai into his hand. "Are you sure that's your name?"

"Of course she is." Naruto said, glaring at the men "You think my sister doesn't know her own name?"

"We have her name as Hanabi, no family name."

"Mozuku-san is correct," the man holding the kunai said "it is suspicious."

"Right, because a spy could fool our team." Ino said, her tone dripping with sarcasm, and both men looked uncomfortable now.

"Of course it could be that we are *_all_ spies and merely flubbed that detail." Nisei offered, glancing at them "However, Oukei-san and Mozuku-san know better than to assume that."

Oukei and Mozuku seemed even more uncomfortable, with several glances between them. Naruto watched them both, then glanced at Hanabi before looking back, his mind set. If she was going to go so far as to take his family name as her own, then he would force the issue.

"I think you both owe her an apology," Naruto said, putting his hand on her shoulder "this is Uzumaki Hanabi, my sister. If you want to keep this up, I'll happily stomp both your asses and afterwards you can talk to our masked-pervert of a Hokage."

Oukei made a faint noise, while Mozuku stared back shocked. Apparently they hadn't been expecting that reaction, or to face speaking with the Hokage. There was another moment of silence, before Mokuzu who had been doing all the talking cleared his throat and offered an apology.

"Don't apologize to us," Ino said, gesturing at Hanabi "she's the one you insulted."

"Ah, right." the man said, before addressing the girl "I'm sorry Uzumaki-san. I didn't mean to insult you it's just that our list of names omitted your family name. We'll make sure to correct it."

"It's ok." Hanabi said after a moment, glancing up at Naruto briefly. Naruto returned the look and then fondly ruffled her hair, deciding that he would have to teach her at least the first step to the Rasengan now. Which had probably been her plan all along; his sister could be such a manipulative little bitch.

"Speaking of a list of names," Nisei said, his tone intrigued. "I assume you were waiting for us specifically."

"I was," Oukei said, steeping forward "Sarugaku-sama, the Regional Commander, sent me to greet you and issue your first mission."

"Mission? We don't even get to rest?" Naruto protested, snorting in annoyance. Figures, just when they get everything settled down and cleared up, they were sent right back out.

"It's a priority mission," Oukei said, handing Nisei a scroll "A team was sent out a few days ago and they requested backup."

* * *

_Konoha, ANBU Solitary Confinement..._

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Sakura, like most people, had always believed that blindness made the world black. Recently she had learned different, though she would have preferred not to learn this at all. Black existed to describe a color but when you were blind, the world wasn't black.

It wasn't even dark.

Color, light, darkness…_none of it_ existed. You saw nothing; you existed in a world of nothingness, vast, unending nothingness. The kind that clutched and squeezed at your heart, that made you feel alone and isolated, because it went on forever and ever, and it was all you could see or know.

In such a state, your only relief came in small things that you once took for granted; the reassuring feel of solid objects, the soothing sound of your heart beat or a bed creaking. Most often, the best relief (and worst torture), came from the memories of the world you knew and loved.

That was Sakura's world now, what she woke up with and lived with. What made it even worse was that her blindness wasn't due to some natural event, or even her artificial Sharingan. Her blindness came directly from a mysterious man, who had arrived with Karin and Suigetsu before he used his _fingers _to rip her Sharingan out.

The pain had been blinding, the loss of her sight devastating, but worse had been the chiper words he said: *_"Those don't belong to you, little girl."* _

Sakura gritted her teeth at the memory of that cock-sucking bastard, struggling to suppress her rage. It would do her no good, confined as she was within a six by six ANBU holding cell, her chakra suppressed thanks to a Hyūga and a five-inch solid steel door covered with various seals. So her rage would be contained, and when Sakura escaped, she would unleash her fury on the orange masked bastard.

Not that he was her exclusive target, Sasuke was also to blame. They could have avoided this whole mess if he had simply _listened*_ to her in the first place and let her approach the group without a fucking fight. However, really, most of her anger focused on the root of this horrible situation, herself.

Sakura had created this mess, she had betrayed Sasuke and blaming anyone else was merely her trying to sooth her guilty conscious. Sakura should have told him; together they could have kidnapped a sealing expert or something. Instead Sakura had let him do things his own way, had bent over grabbed her ankles and taken it as she normally did.

Kami, she hadn't even had the guts to betray him outright; she'd made a backdoor deal to try to save his life. Why couldn't she stand up to him? Why did she let him do whatever he wanted, like test his stupid strength and thus waste all her efforts in a pointless fight.

Rolling onto her side, Sakura curled into a ball, concentrating on her breathing. The guilt, pain, loss it was crushing her; if she had been smarter, or stronger, or better prepared things wouldn't have turned out like this. It was her fault, just like always, only this time there was no Sasuke to save her ass.

There was just her.

Three sharp raps on her door broke through her dark abasement and Sakura got to her feet automatically, bracing her will. So far, the guards had yet take liberties with her body, but it was only a matter of time. Even with her various injuries from her experiments in Oto it would happen eventually, she was an enemy shinobi after all.

The heavy tumblers clicked like clockwork, followed by the near-silent sound of the steel door sliding back on its tracks. There was a nearly inaudible wisp of fresh air flowing into her cell, followed by a sharp command ordering her to approach the doorway. Sakura turned toward the voice, doing as told, holding her wrists out without orders.

Thick handcuffs snapped around her wrists and she breathed a little easier, as a hand grasped her arm leading her out of the cell. The door closed behind her, which was unusual, but even stranger was when they turned Sakura to the left, and started walking. Alarm bells began going off immediately, she never went to the left.

She also never went anywhere without four guards, but if she counted correctly she had only two guards. They had walked for at least three minutes before she also realized another alarming and strange fact. They kept her chakra suppressed; Hyūga regularly came to press her Opening Points, but she could feel her chakra returning.

Her mind began frantically formulating how to escape, with her chakra and such weak security precautions it would be easy enough. It was almost as if someone had reached into the ANBU and manipulated things for that express purpose. Sakura's fingers twitched, her arms gently straining against the handcuffs.

Not yet, but it wouldn't be long.

Once her strength came back she would snap free, and hit the guards with a genjutsu. That would be her chance to use her medical skills and take them out permanently before making a break for it. Her plan fell apart however, when she realized the fatal flaw in it; Sakura was blind and transplanting eyes took time, not to mention that the pain of the procedure would cripple her.

Damn it.

Just when it seemed like she might actually have a chance at reuniting with Sasuke, things fell apart. Shoulders sagging, Sakura allowed her mind to go blank, hopelessness returning. In such a state, she didn't even bother wondering why her guards stopped her, or why the opened a door and shoved in her inside.

It wasn't until the door slammed shut, leaving her in a room rich with the scent of antiseptic cleaners and the somewhat nauseating scent of embalming fluid that she realized the situation. Senses sharpening, Sakura straightened her back, carefully stress her handcuffs bracing for the idiots that were going to try dissecting her.

"Female, early twenties. Left shoulder, dislocated, consistent with oblique blunt force." a familiar voice said, followed by the rustling of paper. "Odd mutations in the bone structure of the chest cavity, cellular decay has ceased."

"Tsunade?" Sakura asked, tilting her head as she shifted toward the voice.

"You've created something rather vicious, my wayward apprentice." Tsunade said, her tone darkly amused "These Shi-nin are beyond what I would have imagined."

"Shi-nin?" Sakura repeated curiously, before her mind flashed to those experiments. Moving forward cautiously, toward where she assumed the autopsy table was she frowned.

"Well we've finally encountered a second generation one." Tsunade offered mildly, the sound of a scalpel slicing through flesh "So Shi-nin Level 2 to be accurate. You'll be pleased to note that her system does indeed retain chakra."

"Does?" Sakura echoed, blinking at the odd choice of words. Without conscious thought, her hands snaked out locating the bicep and Sakura registered the thick leather strap with dread. Hands traveling down the arm they encountered another strap on the lower forearm before finding the wrist.

Sakura registered the faint pulse, letting an unconscious gasp escape her. Level Two Shi-nin, unlike the Initial Stage Shi-nin, retained a greater level of 'self'. This was just wrong on so many levels; Sakura had done a great many vile things in the pursuit of perfecting medical kinjutsu and while she might have done similar things in Oto she still found them objectionable.

"So, how are you enjoying being blind?" Tsunade asked, tossing her scalpel into a metal tray.

"I enjoy it as much as you do being an old bat." Sakura returned, wondering what her former teacher wanted. If there were anyone other than Ino she expected to kill her, it would be Tsunade or Kurenai. Yet here was one of those very people and they seemed utterly uninterested in attacking her, they had actually broken several prisoner regulations to have a chat.

"I'm going to cut right to the point," Tsunade said, her tone cold "There is a project I'm working on, and at this stage I need an expert in medical kinjutsu. In exchange for helping me, I am willing to arrange things so you can avoid Haitoshi as well as eventually grant you the freedom to seek out Sasuke. Who knows, our breakthrough could even help Sasuke."

Sakura's body stiffened as her mind raced and heart thudded in her chest. Not just because of the offer, or the fact that Tsunade had requested her knowledge of medical kinjutsu. Those last words Tsunade had used, they were hauntingly familiar to the words Kabuto had used to seduce her into the medically forbidden.

"I'll do it." Sakura murmured, forcing her body not to shiver. It didn't matter what she had to do; children, friends, or family, she could sacrifice them all provided she gained the knowledge to help Sasuke.

"Great." Tsunade said, "Once we're finished with this autopsy we'll get started."

* * *

_Hi no Kuni, Region 3..._

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Uchiha Madara had known the tight wire he would walk from the very beginning, mentally and physically he was at his weakest. Part of that was due to his advanced aged, after all he had fought against Senju Hashirama for two decades before the Senju leader began dreaming about Konoha. However, the main reason for his currently weakened condition was the nature of his body.

While nobody was immortal, there were ways of extending life: Orochimaru and Kakuzu were prime examples. Uchiha Madara had discovered this fact long before they had, through the use of his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan he could possess the body of a dying Uchiha. Of course there were a few requirements the body had to meet, the Uchiha had to have the potential for activating the Mangekyō Sharingan and they had to be on the verge of death.

That last part was difficult to time, death happened so quickly after all. Hopefully it wouldn't be too difficult this time, the last two Uchiha would soon fight and whichever lost he would take their body while the other became the key to his ultimate plan. His younger brother Izuna would have laughed with him, or perhaps not; Izuna had been a strange one for an Uchiha.

Breathing out silently, he grinned faintly as the Nehan Shōja no Jutsu took effect on Suigetsu and Karin. As they slumped over into the forced sleep, Madara glanced in the direction that Sasuke had gone in a half hour ago. It wasn't hard for him to locate the poor child, and with a surge of charka he slipped between seconds before reappearing on the cliff behind the crouched figure of Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't even flinch at his sudden appearance, his gaze locked on the half-moon ahead. Madara knew better of course, as underdeveloped as this child was, even he wouldn't miss someone approaching from behind. Approaching slowly, until he stood on the left of Sasuke, Madara joined him in silence for several long minutes.

"So," Madara said after a minute,"thinking about your wife?"

"Hn."

"Ah," Madara said, amused with Sasuke's wonderful conversational skills. "You know, she betrayed you out of loyalty. Have to respect the irony in that, I mean she **betrayed** you because she's _loyal_ to you."

"Hn."

"Well it's not like it's a bad thing," Madara offered, taking on a cheerfully delightful tone. He so loved twisting people's minds around, there were very few people he couldn't do that with -mostly Konan and Pain. "I mean which is better, a person that betrays you out of loyalty or a person that betrays you out of selfishness?"

"...What?" Sasuke asked, his tone soft, but his muscles had stiffened.

"Well? I mean think about it, if they betrayed you out of loyalty they obviously expected it to help you." Madara said, grinning behind his mask as he paused for the dramatic effect "of course, they still betrayed you."

"Hn."

Madara frowned, wondering how any woman could deem this boy worth a relationship. Sasuke had all the personality of a rock and about the same level of conversational abilities. Of course Sakura could have been under the delusion that still waters ran deep, making Madara idly wonder if he should correct that false sensibility.

"It is quite the situation." Madara said at last moving to sit on a nearby rock and stare at Sasuke "so what are you going to do?"

"To attain the same eyes as Itachi," Sasuke said darkly "I will sacrifice her."

"Really?" Madara asked interest piqued. "Well, if you suppose that'll work."

"Hn."

"I mean," Madara paused, baiting the hook carefully "You two are married right? Sworn to each other and all that."

"..."

"Meh, not my concern though so I should keep my nose out of it." Madara said, keeping his tone casual.

"Why Akatsuki?" Sasuke asked suddenly, his voice steady but Madara could sense his unsettledness.

"It is the only option left to me." Madara answered, knowing by now that the best way to make someone truly believe what he told them, he would have to mix in help and half-truths. "History, they say, is written by the winners. Some even say that there is no *_true_ history. But there is, if you're willing to ask the right person."

Locking his gaze with Sasuke, Madara felt his lips quirking behind his mask. The boy's mental state was so easy to manipulate it was almost sad really, but his phyiscal strength could not be taken likely. Madara wanted that strength for his own and he would have to make sure Sasuke won the looming fight against Itachi.

"You've read the scroll within the Uchiha Temple."

"Yes. I've seen the ruined city as well." Sasuke said, his tone curt, eyes piercing.

"So what is the true purpose of the Uchiha Clan?" Madara asked, unbothered by that piercing stare.

"To lead the world to peace."

"Exactly." Madara said, pleased and not hiding it. "Through our strength, we can bring peace to this world. That is the legacy of our ancestor, the Sage of the Six Paths."

At Sasuke's lack of visible reaction Madara nearly laughed, but he resisted and leaned forward to continue.

"You know of The Sage, how he was considered the God of the Shinobi World. He strode from the midst of chaos, of endless wars, and brought order and peace. He revealed the mysteries of chakra and of jutsu, giving birth to the Shinobi Era: His greatest accomplishment was the defeat of the most powerful demon in the world, the Jūbi."

"Hn."

"He divided this monstrous creature into nine parts and sealed them in remote parts of the world, while he placed the body out of reach of any man. The most powerful of these parts eventually managed to break free, and in its wake released the others. The Bijū are, in essence, living forces of nature and nobody could stand against them save for two Clans: The Senju and the Uchiha."

Sasuke's attention seemed to sharpen at this bit of information.

"These two clans managed to tame the Bijū, but none could fully control the Kyūbi. The Uchiha could wield more control over it, and thus it was left in their care while the Senju maintained the others. This was the beginnings of a tentative peace, brokered by the descendants of The Sages only daughter, the Hyūga."

"The Hyūga?" Sasuke asked his tone startled.

"What are the three Great Doujutsu of the Shinobi World?" Madara asked, his tone almost sing-song "The Rinnegan, the Byakugan and the Sharingan! Where else could such ability come from? The daughter was the middle child of The Sage, though she was never concerned with worldly matters, which was why she was never considered as a successor."

"Hn. That makes sense," Sasuke murmured, before scowling, "are you finished with the history lesson now?"

"Not quite." Madara answered, openly letting his amusement show. "Eventually this tentative peace led to the formation of Konohagkure, with the head of the Senju becoming the Shodai Hokage. Each Clan believed that perhaps together, they could after a century of conflict over The Sages rightful heir, lead the world into peace. I realized my mistake too late, the rest of the Clan had been poisoned beyond saving. I still hoped, after my fight with the Shodai, that with the presence of the Uchiha, Konoha could still led the way to peace. But the First Great Shinobi War happened instead."

"I tried to bring peace by founding Kirigakure, but this too failed. As wars continued to occur, I began to lose hope until I ventured into Ame and found renewed hope. Ame is a very secretive nation and their Hidden Village even more so, but once I saw Amegakure there was no denying that it was a working remnant of the world prior to coming of The Sage."

"Impossible." Sasuke scoffed, "The only things left from that time are the ruins."

"Improbable, but not impossible." Madara corrected absently,"Amegakure when I arrived was a village spilt by civil war, but their technology is more advanced than the rest of the world. Where do you think Orochimaru discovered the technology he's now employing in his war? Records and discarded relics are easily recreated by a genius. I wouldn't be surprised if in his war, other technological marvels appear in the field."

"Hn."

"I'm not saying, of course, that our world couldn't eventually create such weapons." Madara continued, waving a hand casually despite Sasuke's lack of protest, "but it does prove that for such weapons to exist, even if they have become non-functioning over the years, Ame is from before time of The Sage."

"Do you plan on using these weapons?" Sasuke asked after a protracted moment, his tone at once both curious and annoyed.

"No, my hope comes from the fact that due to its geographic location, the country has served as a major battlefield for the Shinobi Wars of the past. Here in this bloody village of a bygone era, a child was born. A child whose past mirrors that of The Sage, who possess the Rinnegan, and who now sits atop Ame proclaimed as a god." Madara paused, noting the open incredulity on the younger man's face. Madara grinned, theatrics should never be underestimated. "He is called Pain, and is the reincarnation of The Sage. By joining together to form Akatsuki, I believe peace is at last obtainable."

"What about Itachi?" Sasuke asked after several profoundly silent moments, his face becoming emotionless once more.

"That was not my best idea," Madara admitted with a sigh, long since prepared for this, "I selected Itachi to join, he was the strongest at that time. I was not prepared to believe him capable of what he did. He has made no secret why he committed such genocide, he truly believes that the Clan had betrayed their true purpose."

"What he believes doesn't matter." Sasuke said firmly, eyes bright with anger, before turning to stare at the moon once more.

"No, it doesn't." Madara agreed, while mentally laughing at this foolish child. Sasuke was too wrapped up in the old mentality that 'one cannot live under the same sky as the murderer of his family', it made him too easy to manipulate.

As Hashirama used to say 'It's easy to get lost in the forest'.

* * *

_Nami no Kuni..._

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Winter in Nami no Kuni held a special kind of beauty; from the numerous lakes that stood frozen in counter-point to the flowing water swirling beneath the bridges between the interconnected islands, to the glinting white snow. Almost magical really, resulting in a unique winter celebration among those that lived here. Despite all of that, winter was Nisei's least favorite time of year in Nami no Kuni.

Back when Nisei had been an Aburame, as all Aburame were, he had been sensitive to the cold. Now that his Kikaichu had evolved, or was it reverted, his sensitivity had grown worse. Even protected by warmer clothes and a heavier cloak Nisei had chills running through him constantly.

Shooting an envious glance at Naruto and Hanabi, Nisei mentally grumbled about their cloaks. Naruto had placed special heating seals on those cloaks, making them toasty warm. His mind briefly flashed to Keiko, who would have been perfect for the job of keeping him warm, but sadly she had remained in Konoha for safety.

The unease that came from remembering that further distracted him from the cold; after all she was staying behind nearly defenseless in a village full of Aburame. The clan wanted her dead (his life was secondary), without him around to protect her things could easily take a turn for the worse. What really bothered him however was how the clan was acting, as if he had intended for this to happen.

It wasn't their fault; Nisei did not set out to intentionally cause his Kikaichu to revert back to being 'Onimushi'. Even Naruto, who was indirectly the catalyst for the change, couldn't be blamed. The imprisoned Kyūbi could, but Nisei knew now just as he did in the beginning, how useless a defense _that*_ would be. The Aburame Clan would either not believe him, which meant he and Keiko were dead, or the Aburame clan **would** believe him, and Naruto was dead along with them.

Every time Nisei thought of how pointless the situation was, he was reminded of beating his head against a brick wall.

Still, part of him did wish that Naruto had not been placed on his Genin team. Then the true Aburame history could have remained forgotten to the sands of time and he could have lived peacefully among his family. Of course, the rest of him quickly pointed out how if that had been the case he wouldn't have his precious Keiko.

Shaking his head to clear it of the previous thoughts, he let out a heavy breath, and then shivered. Damn it, he was cold again and his only method of taking his mind off it was watching Naruto and Hanabi. Yet the only interesting thing about them was the balloon Hanabi was currently holding just in front of her.

Nisei allowed that it was unusual; Naruto had insisted they stop in a small rest area so he could buy that balloon. Also of interest was the fact that they had then spent half an hour in the rest area as Naruto took Hanabi aside to explain a 'family technique'. Of course, all of this was only interesting to someone that wasn't Nisei; he (Ino as well if she cared to) could theorize exactly which Uzumaki 'family technique' would require the use of a balloon.

Nisei turned over the concept of Hanabi starting toward _that*_ technique; it was frightening to say the least. Quite simply Hanabi was already something of a monster, but while her mid to long range combative capabilities were impressive, it was in close combat that she excelled. When it came to Taijutsu there were no Genin that could match her, few Chūnin that could, and even Jōnin were not entirely beyond her abilities.

"Nisei," Ino said, interrupting his thoughts and when he glanced at her she continued, "she's learning the Rasengan isn't she?"

"I believe so." Nisei confirmed.

"That irresponsible idiot," Ino muttered, eyes narrowing as she stared at her boyfriend's back.

Nisei remained silent, debating on what to say or how to react. Personally he agreed with her, but he was not stupid enough to admit it to her. Even if she was the one that insulted him, even if she and Naruto were fighting; one simply didn't insult a girl's boyfriend. Unless you were said girls best-friend, then you could get away with it.

Nisei had learned _that*_ the hard way.

"Can I ask you something?" Ino asked after another moment, and then at his nod she continued "I, I have a friend and she found out this secret about this guy she liked."

"Ah, and this secret prompted her to react badly?" Nisei asked, feeling partly responsible. He had been the one to urge Naruto to share his secret about the Kyūbi with Ino.

"Well, not the secret itself. She could care less about that," Ino said, sniffing in annoyance, "She's more upset because he kept it from her in first place. They promised no secrets and it feels like he betrayed me-y friend."

"I see." Nisei said, wishing Keiko was present to offer advice. "So the issue is a betrayal of trust?"

"Sort of," Ino managed, scowling,"it makes her feel that he didn't trust her at all. That he didn't think enough of her to trust that she wouldn't react like others would."

"Well, as ninja we all accept that we must keep secrets." Nisei offered, then sensing her ire continued quickly, "However, it might also be helpful to consider that perhaps he was attempting to protect your friend?"

"How does keeping this secret protect _her_?" Ino asked waspishly, making Nisei cringe.

"I couldn't say for sure," Nisei admitted, trying to think of something. "Undoubtedly, if he kept the secret this long he must have been afraid. Perhaps he might have had a reason to fear for her safety as well, or even her happiness?"

"Of all the stupid-" Ino muttered, letting out a heavy breath "He couldn't seriously think that I'd be _happier_ not knowing."

Nisei made a faint throat clearing noise of 'ahem', almost amused "I think you mean your friend."

"Ugh!" Ino glared at him sourly, "We both know this is about me and Naruto."

"Indeed."

"It's just, even if he was trying to he 'protect' me, it hurts." Ino hesitated, her tone wavering, "A lot. More than I ever imagined it could feel like."

"I imagine so." Nisei allowed, pleased to see things turning around,"I imagine that Naruto feels the same way. This is a bad situation, but you should keep in mind he can't really be blamed-"

"I should have known better." Ino interrupted, glaring at him "you men always defend each other."

"I'm not defending him-" Nisei started, before wisely shutting up at her increasing glare. Sometimes it was the better part of valor to simply surrender, but at least he had tried to help Naruto.

That had to count for something right?

* * *

_Miyako, Capital of the Kusa Empire. Kirin Castle, bedchamber of the Daimyo..._

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It was strange how situations could change in a short amount of time, how one person could go from being discarded and ignored to being a ruler of a burgeoning empire.

A little over a month ago, Utagaibukai Noga second son to the former Kusa Daimyo and former Genin, had been plotting how best to avenge himself upon his older brother Utagaibukai Hittori, the most beloved man in Kusa. Then whatever plans he had created were curtailed by his glorified exile (publically it had been a vacation). Isolated from all but his mother and a handful of servants, Noga had restlessly paced the confines of the mansion.

Escape would be impossible, the 'honor' guard that surrounded the mansion from 'unwated intrusion' were among the best samurai and ninja that the empire had. All were also unflinchingly loyal to Noga's elder brother. Then one day, that changed. One day he had been visited by several people, all ranking members from his brothers court, and it was then that he had learned that where Noga had been ineffect, nature had succeeded: his brother, Hittori, had died in his sleep from a brain aneurism.

Things had been a rushed affair after that and they installed him into the office of Daimyo faster than might be legal. But Noga knew they didn't have much choice, this whole empire was held together by a single man rather than the government. They had needed, if nothing else, a figure head for the people to rally around and who better than the brother of their beloved ruler?

Noga still wasn't sure how to take all of this, should he feel angry at being cheated of his chance, or grateful to the universe? A small chuckle escaped him before growing into a high, bordering on hysterical laugh. Mastering his laughter, he leaned against the railing of his balcony and focused on his empire, feeling unusually hollow. Perhaps it was because he had not wrested this empire with his own hands or perhaps his time in isolation had warped his mind.

But it had not affected his judgment, as a figure head he would only last until they no longer needed him. So his first act as Daimyo had been to put the enforced loyalty seal on everyone in the castle. His only fear was Sazuko, his brother's unofficial wife, who had gone missing: a former Kumo ANBU that knew as much as her made him nervous.

Ultimately though, it didn't matter because things were finally in his control. He had secured the loyalty of his government and soon his empire would stretch from coast to coast. Hittori might have been a master manipulator, but he had never realized that manipulation did nothing other than waste time: Why take forty years to conquer the world when in a matter of months you could do the same thing.

Strength and power were the ultimate keys. They were how you ruled this world.

With a final look, he turned entering his room and then paused registering the sound of a light scraping on the stone behind him. Spinning, he was brought up short by the man dressed in an Akatsuki cloak standing on his terrace. As the man stepped into the room the piercings in his ears, the studs lining either side of his nose and the two under his lip gleamed dully.

However, what truly stood out were the man's odd eyes and the lack of intent.

Noga had been trained as a ninja and he had met powerful ninja, never once had he been intimidated, only wary. That was, until this moment as he studied the emotionless man standing in his room, and longer the stared the more intimidated he was. Not because of a vast amount of chakra or a reputation, it was the simple fact that he wasn't sure if this man was alive or not: everybody, from a farmer to a Kage, had some kind of intent that you could feel no matter how faint.

This man was a sinkhole of nothingness.

"Who are you?" Noga asked at last, pleased to find that his voice didn't betray his mounting fear.

"I am Pain." The man paused, his face not changing expression one bit "You wished to speak with me."

"You're the leader of Akatsuki?" Noga asked, knowing it was stupid even as he said it. Though this was strange, he had expected to met with the weird plant man or someone else and during the day not at night. Shaking his head to clear it, he focused on how to handle this situation. "It's about the deal you struck with my brother."

Pain simply stood there, staring at him impassively.

"He's dead." Noga said, the rest of his sentence dying in his throat under the man's gaze.

"Since when do mortals need to tell God such details?"

Noga felt a momentary urge to question that but he resisted, this man led Akatsuki, a group of insanely powerful criminals. This 'Pain' could believe or say whatever he wanted, as long as he delivered the promised weapon. "I mentioned it because of the deal you had with him. We supply you with a more legitimate cover by 'capturing' your country and you in turn provide us with the ultimate weapon."

"Do you wish to break this deal?"

"No." Noga said, his extremities beginning to feel cold. He hated that voice, and he might have normally made it known but sensed that this was the wrong person to do that with. "I'm asking for an act of good faith. The Kusa Empire must expand but we are still preparing, while we have a hostile nation to our south and an untrustworthy ally to the north."

"The weapon is not complete."

"What more do you need?" Noga snapped, anger getting the better of him "You have secrecy to do your work, you have all the finical support of an Empire and years to work on it!"

"There are still requirements to be met." Pain said, not showing a sign of any emotion at the outburst "It will be ready soon."

"Soon? What happens between 'soon' and Iwa or Suna deciding to wipe us out?" Noga asked his tone thick with anger. Then getting control of his emotions breathed out sharply, no, getting angry wouldn't help. "I **need** to show our strength, it will keep the others from targeting us."

"I find your lack of faith," Pain said slowly, prouncing the words with extreme precision, the first sign of something even _remotely*_ emotional "disturbing."

"I'm mortal," Noga said, struggling to control his emotions as he had been trained to, "sometimes we need more than faith."

"Have your most skilled ninja touch this," Pain said after a moment, lifting his arm to balance an obsidian spike on the stone floor "In one week, my angel will come for the one chosen. In exchange for their life, three days following, I will deliver a _test*_ firing of the weapon."

"The target?" Noga asked, staring at the spike before looking back up at Pain, only to realize he was alone in his living chambers. Letting out a silent breath, he realized that warmth was returning to his body and a till then unnoticed weight was gone. His limbs going cold had a few causes, but it couldn't have been circulation and he didn't have a thyroid problem: the weight though, he never noticed that and he wasn't sure what could do to that.

Suddenly the unease that had been building during that meeting grew worse. Pain unnerved him in a way he had never thought possible and he stumbled backward before collapsing into a chair. He would have to get things rolling, wondering why that man wanted his most skilled ninja in exchange for the use of this weapon.

Not that it mattered; soon he would have what he needed. One ninja was a small price to pay for his Empire's future.

* * *

_Nami no Kuni..._

_:_

_:  
_

Ino grimaced as her foot encountered slush, allowing it to ooze into her sandals. Pulling her cloak tighter around her body, she shook her leg before grimly continuing. Thinking dark thoughts about the situation, Ino's gaze hovered briefly on Hanabi and her cloak with its heating seal before looking away.

No point in dwelling on it, if Naruto wanted to be a jerk about this damn thing that was his problem. He was the one that kept the secret about the Kyubi from her, because he didn't think enough of her to believe in her. Grinding her teeth, the freshly minted Tokubetsu Jōnin tried to ignore her dark thoughts about Naruto.

Ino also made an effort to ignore the tiny voice that insisted she was making a mistake the situation was too complicated and she didn't need the distraction. Closing her eyes, she counted to ten slowly, attempting the calming routine Anko had taught all ANBU Trainees. Emotions could jeopardize a mission, and hence Konoha, so ANBU were taught how to suppress them.

Unfortunately, suppressing one set of emotions allowed murderous emotions to emerge. Her anger toward Haruno Sakura blossomed unexpectedly, and Ino's jaw clenched tight as her hand clutched the hilt of her sword. Ino could vividly see that pink-haired bitches face, that smug tone as she dangled bait before her.

Ino should have killed Sakura…or better yet, made Sakura watch as she gutted Sasuke, before killing her.

The only cold comfort Ino could take from encountering Sakura once more was that the girl had ended up blind and her world stolen. Forcing her fingers to uncurl from the hilt of her sword, unclenching her taut muscles. Still this was dangerous; her emotions would prove fatal if she didn't do something to distract her from them.

Ino had to keep her mind occupied, and the only thing that could do the job and not provoke violent emotions, would be reviewing the mission. It would be boring as hell, but Ino didn't have another choice. Heaving a weary sigh, her shoulders slumped as she began reviewing the mission.

They were on the way to help in the rescue of several Nami samurai that had been captured in a recent Kumo incursion into the region. The prison camp where they were held was currently under observation by a Konoha team led by Rock Lee.

At their current speed of travel, they should arrive at the rendezvous point in another half hour. From there they would plan further details for the extraction of the prisoners. As for opposition, rough estimates placed the number of Kaminari Samurai at 122 and no Kumo presence.

Thoughts of Kumo ninja (even non-existent ones) prompted her hand to once more drift to the unfamiliar weight at her side. Ino had Yuzuha on hand of course, but she had resolved too only use Raijin-ken. After all, she had to get used to it soon since it wouldn't be practical to carry Yuzuha all the time.

Releasing the hilt, before she accidentally created a blade of lighting, Ino turned her attention back to her surroundings. It didn't take long to notice the presence following them, observing in the subtle way of a Shinobi. A brief glance at the others told her that they had registered the attention as well, but were making no noise about it.

"Not very stealthy are you?" A new voice asked from her left, likely in an attempt to startle her.

"If you say so." Ino returned blandly, not even glancing at her new companion.

"Anjin-san, I wouldn't say that if I were you." Hanabi interjected, turning to face the owner as well. The boy got a dopey grin and blushed faintly, while two more ninja came out of the surrounding shrubbery.

"Teru-san, Kojiro-san." Hanabi greeted, before glancing at Naruto, "I told you, you wouldn't have to kill them."

"Great!" Naruto said brightly before rubbing his hands together, "so let's get this party started."

"Perhaps they should give us the layout first," Ino offered, keeping her tone even. Naruto's eyes flashed toward her, but Ino ignored it and motioned for the three younger ninja to lead the way.

A few minutes later, they huddled in a small camp. The three students of Lee crouched around a bare patch of earth, Anjin picking up a stick beginning to sketch something in the dirt.

"Where's Fuzzy Brows?" Naruto asked, twisting side to side, stretching.

"Checking the surrounding villages." Teru, the tallest of the three said, scowling at Naruto. "Lee-sensei suggested a morning attempt."

"Nisei-san?" Ino asked. While Ino was information extraction, Naruto was tactics, and Hanabi scout, Nisei handled strategy.

"A morning attempt is a good choice, though an early evening assault would be better." Nisei offered, crouching among the younger ninja. "Morning, even early morning, is when they have their highest alert."

"Sounds good to me," Ino said, glancing at Naruto who nodded. She glanced at Lee's team, noting their annoyance. "So, what's the layout like?"

"The perimeter of the camp is simple enough, two sets of fences one barbed wire and the other chain linked. Four guard towers, two inside the prisoner compound and two on outside." Anjin said, pointing to the various parts of his dirt sketch. "This is the main gate, there are two guards and it leads to the main compound."

"There is a secondary gate, used for supplies." Kojiro added, as Anjin marked it in the dirt "It leads directly into area around the Kaminari buildings."

"Access to the prison compound is through a third gate," Teru said taking the stick back from Anjin "set in the middle of a another set of fences that cut the camp in half."

"The layout for the main compound is simple, you come into the parade grounds, to the right is the Kaminari barracks and a little north of that is the prisoner gate." Kojiro explained "as for the prisoner compound, there are four barracks for the Nami samurai, one mess hall and a single bath."

"Any ninja?" Hanabi asked, sounding thoughtful.

"None." Kojiro offered, taking the stick from Anjin to mark the dirt map "We've been watching them for a week now after we sent the report."

"How do you approach the main gate?" Nisei asked, leaning forward.

"Via the road you were on." Kojiro said. "It runs through a town, and then onward to the next one, but there's a small branch off that leads to the prison camp. No concealing shrubbery, so stealth is next to impossible."

"Stealth is overrated anyway," Naruto offered, grinning. "So Nisei, what do you have in mind?"

"If we had a larger attack force this would be much easier," Nisei said, sounding disgruntled, before he sighed shaking his head and used his finger to number the towers "first thing we'll have to do is neutralize the towers. I'll take the tower nearest the Main gate, Hanabi you take the one nearest to the guard barracks. Anjin-san you take the tower near the prisoner's bath, while Kojiro-san and Teru-san take the last one."

"Are you sure Yamanaka-san or Uzumaki-sama shouldn't take those towers?" Teru asked, raising an eyebrow, making Ino wonder why he was asking.

"Unfortunately, they are needed elsewhere." Nisei said, showing no annoyance at being questioned as other strategists would. Turning to Ino, he inclined his head slightly "If you wouldn't mind, you'll have to take the secondary gate, while Naruto takes the main gate."

"No problem," Ino said, studying the lay out.

"Now as Naruto enters the main gate, grabbing all the attention he can, Hanabi and I will head for the prisoner gate to secure it. Anjin-san, Kojiro-san and Teru-san you'll clear the prisoner compound of any Kaminari samurai, after which I'll enter and we'll gather the prisoners.

"Cool." Naruto said, cracking his neck before putting the ear bud of his radio into place. "I call channel nine."

"I'm eight!" Hanabi chirped happily, following his lead.

"Six." Ino said rolling her eyes, trying to settle the uneasy feeling she had. There was something about this mission that wasn't setting right with her, but it appeared she was the only one feeling that way.

"Four." Nisei said before nodding at the other three "You have one, two, and three."

"Gee, we would have never guessed." Anjin muttered, causing Kojiro to giggle and Teru to sigh.


	31. Chapter 29: Ashes

Naruto: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 29  
-_Ashes_-  
By Geor-sama

* * *

Gate duty was the most mind-numbing task one could be stuck with. You spent eight hours doing nothing, simply standing in one spot without any method of occupying your mind. Even small talk with your fellow guard got old, very quickly.

Many considered gate duty to be nothing more than an even more torturous version of peeling potatoes.

In Aochi Ekei's opinion however, the job wasn't so bad. Ekei didn't mind the silence, and best of all he didn't have to deal with officers. He dreaded the mere thought of dealing with them, so being free of that was a big perk in his opinion.

"You ever wonder if what they say about snowflakes is true?"

"Eh?" Ekei managed, scratching his chin, glancing at his partner Ankokuji Shigetsuna.

"You know, about how no two snowflakes are the same." Shigetsuna said, eyes contemplating the snow around them.

"Well, I guess. Nothing's the exact same after all." Ekei said, mentally wondering if he could slip away unnoticed later for some fun in that town down the road. His harpy of a girlfriend was a few thousand miles away; this might be his only chance.

Movement caught his attention and the samurai shifted his focus, staring blankly at the man draped in a cloak approaching. How could someone get that close without being noticed? It didn't seem possible considering the lack of concealing shrubbery.

"Ankokuji-san." Ekei said softly, grasping the hilt of his sword, the hair on his neck standing up.

"I noticed." The older man replied softly.

Ekei nodded in acknowledgment, even as he felt a chill creep along his spine. It seemed his instincts were trying to tell this was no ordinary visitor. Ekei adjusted the grip on his katana, meeting those dark blue eyes out of sheer will.

"Identification?" Shigetsuna asked in a steady voice.

A slight shift in shoulders as the blond man turned to face the older samurai, nothing threatening, pushed Ekei's unusually high-strung nerves over the edge. His katana sang out of its sheath, his body twisting into the killing blow. The blade came to a sudden bone-jarring stop as the man _grabbed_ the blade in mid-swing bare handed.

Ekei had just a moment to register the smirk on the whiskered man's face before his sword wrenched from his grasp. A moment later, a kick to the stomach sent him crashing into the gatepost with a sickening crack.

Slumping to his knees, the edges of his vision darkening, Ekei watched his partner make his own lunging attack. The enemy countered by grabbing the wrist of the hand bearing the sword, bringing his other hand up sharply, snapping Shigetsuna's elbow. The cry of pain that followed was silenced almost instantly as a gleam of metal pierced Shingetsuna's throat.

Listing stupidly to the side, Ekei collapsed completely as the man stepped up to the gate, hand sweeping back. A sphere of chakra swirled into being before it struck the gate, followed by the gate exploding inward.

Aochi Ekei blacked out completely as the ninja shouting at the top of his lungs.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm here to make all of you my bitches!"

* * *

Hanabi crept across the open expanse toward her objective, eying the tower warily. Stopping as the guard turned toward her, Hanabi closed her eyes, concentrating to ensure her Meisai Gakure Technique didn't crumble. Opening them a minute later she started forward once more, glancing twenty or so feet to her right, where Anjin should be.

He was relying on a basic genjutsu to cover his approach, to all outward appearances he appeared as the shadow of a passing cloud. Hanabi grimaced, not for the first time, ruing her stupidity. At the time it simply hadn't occurred to her, or him apparently, that during twilight the sun didn't hit the clouds properly to cast that sort of shadow.

Looking away, Hanabi could only hope that the guards would be equally stupid.

A few moments later, she reached the guard tower, and paused considering the wooden structure carefully. It rose overhead on four wooden posts, each of which was connected through X-shaped posts most likely granting it even more support. The fencing ran between two of the legs, wrapped carefully around two posts, and at the very top a partially enclosed platform with access limited to a set of stairs located on the inside of the fence.

It was an intimidating structure, but the two samurai above were more intimidating. Both armed with bows, and something told her these were not casual archers. Glancing at the other tower, she stopped breathing as Anjin's illusion crumbled as he reached the tower and she didn't start breathing until he slipped between the X-shaped posts, recasting it, disappearing from view.

Breathing easier as the threat passed, Hanabi turned back to her own tower, and she had a small window before the main mission started. Grasping the lowest part of the X-shaped post, she kicked her feet out, swinging her way around to land on the top. Her slide stopped as a foot kicked out, so she could brace against a corner leg; chakra flowing into her feet and hands, Hanabi started up the slanting post, leaving explosive notes in her wake.

After all, her sensei might want a distraction or they might need a quicker escape route.

Reaching the underside of the platform, she planted a few explosive notes, before she maneuvered her way over the low surrounding wall. Landing in a crouch, Hanabi froze waiting to see if they reacted to her, but when the samurai remained oblivious she moved forward. A few steps short of her target however, a board creaked underfoot.

Hanabi was startled, as was her target who spun around, bow rising as he called a warning. Eyes widening, Hanabi realized she'd let the Mesai Gakure collapse, and that the samurai had sighted in on her. In the second after the arrow was fired, Hanabi shifted her weight just enough so that the arrow passed inches from her cheek, as her hands raced through three seals.

The samurai was beginning to notch another arrow as Hanabi brought her arm forward, snapping her wrist, cracking a whip of water across his hand. To his credit, he didn't cry out in pain, as he dropped the bow, but instead groped for his katana. Hanabi closed the gap and her left hand grabbed his wrist as her right shot forward beneath the arm striking the man's chest with a Shiro Hasu Dageki.

As his body slumped into death, Hanabi registered movement from the other samurai and twisted aside. Unfortunately, she was half-second off, and the arrow grazed her forearm. Grunting she crossed the short distance, knocking the bow aside as the second arrow fired, her other hand delivering a punishing punch to his ribs.

His cry of pain was secondary to Hanabi; instead she saw the way his body contorted, presenting her with the perfect target. Hand snatching a kunai from a holster, she brought it around and down, plunging the blade into the base of his skull. Stepping back as the samurai collapsed, she spat on the dead body before fishing in her pouch for a healing salve and bandage.

Taking care of the wound, Hanabi groused darkly to herself. She should have been able to avoid that damn arrow, two A-rank ninjutsu while taxing, were not enough to serve as an excuse. The Rasengan training she'd been doing might have contributed to this, but Hanabi refused to accept it as an excuse. Hanabi was better than that; she wouldn't give up by blaming her stupidity on something like that.

Arm bandaged, she looked up checking on the second tower, for a moment afraid that Anjin failed. Then he appeared, giving her thumbs up, signaling that he had taken the tower. Radio crackling, Nisei reported that their towers were taken as well, leaving Hanabi to signal Naruto go ahead with his part of the operation. Changing the channel to nine Hanabi did just that: "Towers are clear."

"Gotcha," Naruto said, his voice distorted through the earpiece "when you see the signal get your asses in gear."

"Check," Hanabi offered, before switching to the other channels passing the message along. Slipping kuani into both hands, she slipped into a ready position, ready for action.

"Hey Ha-chan," Anjin's voice said, voice crackling, and Hanabi scowled at the familiarity of that nickname "What exactly is this signal?"

"You'll see." Hanabi said, musing on how to deal with Anjin and the nickname. It wasn't bad, she didn't hate it, but Hanabi also wasn't comfortable with a boy she barely knew using it. Now if Konohamaru were to call her that, well, Hanabi wouldn't complain or give it a second thought.

A moment later, the main gates of the camp were blown open (one actually went tumbling across the compound). This demonstration was followed by a loud, boisterous voice echoing through the air, drawing all attention toward him. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm here to make all of you my bitches!"

"Told you." Hanabi said laughing, before leaping over the side of the platform, dropping into the camp.

* * *

Watching as Teru engaged a wounded enemy (her genjutsu having failed to ensnare both guards) Kojiro was reminded of the difference between her and her team. Teru and Anjin loved being ninja, enjoyed it in a way that didn't touch her in the slightest; Yūhi Kojiro had never wanted to be a ninja. Her preferences lay toward more _gentle_ arts such as flower arrangement, poetry, the flute (ryūteki specifically) and feng sheui.

Kojiro only practiced genjutsu because of family obligation, and had only entered the ninja academy because of expectations. Her elder cousin, Yūhi Kurenai, was to blame for the recent spate of fame the Yūhi received. The Yūhi family had always been experts in genjutsu, but they had never been famed as they were now simply because Kurenai had shined too brightly and made people highly aware of the Yūhi family.

The family embraced such attention, pounced on the chance to increase their prestige, and it wasn't important if children like Kojiro detested being a ninja.

"We need to split up," Teru said, moving the wounded and unconscious guard out of sight. Glancing at her, he grimaced, "I don't think there are a lot of these guards in the prisoner compound, but it'll take too long to do this together."

"I agree." Kojiro said, nodding in agreement as the chaos from the fighting beyond the prisoner gate reached them "I will circle to the right and take the forward half of the barracks. You circle left, take the rear section and then join up with Anjin. We should have this area cleared of samurai quickly enough."

"Got it." Teru said, giving her a faint smile before setting off toward the rear.

Kojiro stood at the base of the guard tower for another minute and then set off on her own, mindful to hide her presence with a carefully constructed genjutsu. Hopefully it would allow her to avoid any direct confrontation, not that she was afraid or unable to fight, Kojiro simply didn't have the stomach for it. That's why they took the guard tower with a Genjutsu that turned the two guards on each other, which in turn explained why she hadn't been able to ensnare both of the guards at the base of the tower.

Her chakra capacity simply wasn't up to the task of casting that many powerful Genjutsu, especially with such little time to recover in between. Besides, why should she push her life to the edge like that when there was no point? Reaching the first of the barracks, she turned back watching Teru disappear from view; letting out a soft sigh, Kojiro crept along the back of the barrack, unnerved by the lack of activity.

You'd think that with the noise from out front any Kaminari samurai around would be frantic, or that the Nami samurai would be clamoring out of their buildings.

Reaching the barrack corner she peeked down the narrow alley between the two windowless buildings, seeing nothing. Satisfied she turned and crept to the other end, following the ally created by the barrack and the fencing. Easing around the front of the building, Kojiro breathed easier, there were no samurai, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creep over her.

There should have been some sort of activity going on here, even if the samurai were all fighting the prisoners should have been making noise. Unless, Kojiro realized, giving the barrack door a suspicious look, the Kaminari samurai had went inside the barracks and were intending to use the Nami samurai as hostages. Taking several quick steps away from the door, she reached up touching her earpiece carefully.

"Teru, have you found any enemy samurai?"

"None." Teru responded, his voice lost somewhat in background crackle as was a second voice "Anjin says that he's only found three on his side."

"I think they might be inside the buildings," Kojiro whispered, retreating even further toward the gate "get to the gate. Once Nisei-san and Hanabi get in here we can figure out what to do."

"Roger." Teru said, his voice equally hushed and Kojiro switched channels.

"Besshu-san, there are Kaminari samurai inside the barracks, holding the prisoners hostage." Pausing, she listened to the radio static for a moment before continuing, "I'm at the gate, Anjin and Teru will be here soon."

"You'll want to move a few feet back." Nisei said, his voice strained, the sound of a static filled grunt making itself known, "we'll have to blow the lock off."

"Got it." Kojiro said, allowing her genjutsu to crumble so that her team could see her. They were passing through the alley created by the fence and front of a barrack, when they noticed her signaling to stay there. They came to an abrupt halt, watching curiously as she moved to join them, then a minute later they flinched back as the gates exploded inward.

* * *

Nisei watched absently as Naruto tore into the prison camp, the blond definitely knew how to grab attention that was for sure. More to the point, Naruto knew how to keep it as well, shouting insults and attacking in the flashiest ways imaginable. It would have been amusing if the odds weren't so damn lopsided, though Nisei did take note that Naruto wasn't killing every samurai he encountered.

Shaking his head, Nisei leapt down from the tower, rebounded to lessen the force from his impact, and started wading through the panicking samurai. Hand flicking out Nisei scattered several of his family in a wide spray, clearing his immediate area, before he touched his earpiece to contact Hanabi.

"Location?" Nisei asked, ducking the swing of a katana before taking the samurai out with a sharp jab to the throat.

"At the prisoner gate," Hanabi answered, her voice thick with annoyance "not that I can secure it well, the samurai can't seem to decide which way they want to go. PICK A DAMN DIRECTION ALREADY!"

"Hanabi," Nisei managed, grimacing from the shout and whine of the radio. That came close to busting his eardrum; it definitely gave him a headache. "I'll get there soon and, please, refrain from shouting."

"Whatever." Hanabi said, before her radio cut out signaling that she had turned it off.

Nisei snorted, she became more and more like her sensei every day.

His thoughts snapped back to the present, registering an enemy lunging toward him. Side-stepping the thrust of the katana he flicked his hand out, sending a chakra dot boring between the man's eyes and out the back of his head. That threat finished, he continued on, cutting down any samurai foolish enough to get in his path.

He caught a glimpse of a blood splattered Hanabi, when a loud cry cut across the din of chaotic combat. Skidding to a halt, Nisei whipped his head around as several samurai went flying. His eyes widened as he saw a dozen Kage Bunshin of Naruto flooding the compound, sending the samurai into a more frantic panic.

Registering a noise he spun, hitting the shaft an arrow to knock it off course. Spotting his attacker, Nisei flung his hand forward, peppering him with a dozen chakra dots. The hapless samurai collapsed, a second before another hurtled past Nisei.

"How is it going?" a Naruto hollered, grinning as he sent another samurai flying with a Rasengan.

"Naruto?"

"Nah," the blond said, ducking under an arrow before returning a barrage of kunai "I'm a Kage Bunshin."

"Ah." Nisei managed before glancing around. "Do you know if there is a purpose to this?"

"Wanted us to try thinning the herd a little, maybe force them into a panic retreat." The Kage Bunshin said, ducking a sword before knocking the samurai out with a sharp blow to the neck "Naruto doesn't want to waste too much time with these pricks."

"Interesting tactic," Nisei allowed, dodging his own arrow before taking that samurai out with a glowing dot "just make sure that you drive them out and away from each other. We don't need them regrouping and coming back."

"Don't worry," the Kage Bunshin said, jumping to avoid a spear and kicked the user in the face. Landing he gave Nisei a cocky, two finger salute before moving off to terrorize some fresh Kaminari samurai.

Shaking his head, Nisei pressed on as the enemy thinned out from either panic or being taken out by Kage Bunshin. The only thing he had to worry about now was the occasional stray shot, but they were easily handled. A swirl of chakra dots would deflect the arrows and then snap toward the archers, removing the threat with a drill like formation.

Reaching the far side of the now panic stricken samurai, Nisei spotted a wary, blood splattered Hanabi. If only she wasn't going to crumble, Nisei felt that she would make an excellent Ne recruit. Shaking it off, he approached stepping over several fallen samurai to reach her. "Hanabi."

"'Bout time," the girl said, glancing at him "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

"Well I'm here now." Nisei offered, motioning her away from the gates so that he could check the locks. It seemed that the enemy had intended to keep the prisoners securely locked away; the locks were nothing similar to anything Nisei had ever encountered. It would take far too much time to pick them, or cut through them.

Easing back, he considered the locks for a moment before his attention turned toward an oddity he hadn't noticed before. Despite the noise and chaos of the battle behind him, he was close enough to the prisoner compound that he should have heard the riot going on the other side. But there wasn't a single sound coming from the other side, which set his nerves on edge, it wasn't natural for prisoners to be this quiet.

"Besshu-san," the unfamiliar and static filled voice of Kojiro said over his radio "there are Kaminari samurai inside the barracks holding the prisoners hostage. I'm at the gate, Anjin and Teru will be here soon."

Nisei frowned, that would make some sense. The enemy would try to bargain once they realized they were being raided like this, but sadly for them, the rescue from Konoha would be too skilled for that to work.

"Understood, you should move a few feet back." Nisei said, beginning to place several explosive notes to the various locks "we have to blow the locks off."

"Got it." Kojiro said followed by a soft click as the connection disconnected.

"Hanabi," Nisei said as he retreated from the gates, as did the girl in question. A moment later he set the explosive notes off, watching without fear of his night vision being ruined, thanks to his sunglasses. Still, he did make it a point to cover his ears to dampen the temporary hearing loss that usually accompanied an explosion.

A minute later, as the debris from the blast settled he found the others moving to met them and he sighed, stepping forward along with Hanabi. Glancing at the four Genin, he briefly reconsidered his strategy, but decided he had no choice other than to stick with it. The only one he could depend on making sure that the gate remained secured against enemies was Hanabi.

"Matsudaira-san and Mirua-san, take the right side of the compound. Yūhi-san and I shall take the left, if you find enemies neutralize them if you can. If you're unable to neutralize the enemy, use your radio and we will try to provide backup."

"I could help as well." Hanabi offered, scowling.

"You are to remain at this gate and keep it secured," Nisei said, without looking at her. "This acts as our escape route as well as a perfect way for the enemy to catch us from behind."

"Fine."

Nisei didn't bother acknowledging the coolness in her tone, Naruto and Ino might be willing to indulge Hanabi, but he wasn't. Nodding curtly to the others, they paired off and hurried into the compound. As Teru and Anjin veered right, Nisei and Kojiro went to the first barracks; Kojiro had enough sense to crouch next to the door, hefting a Kunai in preparation for entering.

Nisei gave her a glance, before he approached the door and kicked it open, darting to the right of the room as Kojiro swept in and to the left side. By the time she got inside and into position however, Nisei had realized that the shack was empty. There were rows of bunk beds with thin mattress, but no sign of prisoners or guards.

Motioning to get her attention, he had Kojiro hang back as he crept forward; the floorboards creaking ominously underfoot. Something was wrong, obviously at some point there had been prisoners here but they were long gone. Reaching the other end of the barracks, he turned back to her, motioning for her to leave and check the second building.

Once she was gone, Nisei lifted his arms, sending his family out to search the various nooks and crannies. The report came back the same, there was nobody here and there hadn't been for at least three days. Frowning he recalled the family, and reaching up touched his ear piece "Yūhi-san, did you find anything?"

"Nothing."

"Meet me in front of my barracks," Nisei ordered, then switched the channel addressing Teru, "Have you two found anyone?"

"No, but we know they were here-"

"They were moved about three days ago," Nisei said as annoyance and disgust crept into his tone. "This is a trap. Get outside quickly, we need to get out of here immediately."

"Yes."

Without waiting for another word, Nisei snapped the channel to Naruto's as he stepped outside to join Kojiro. As a trap designed for catching Konoha ninja it made perfect sense and Nisei was annoyed that he hadn't realized it earlier. He had just started to tell Naruto of his realization when a crack of thunder ripped through the air and lighting flashed.

Flinching back instinctively Nisei squinted through his sunglasses, only to watch as Hanabi sailed through the air. Her flip was the sort that only the unconscious or the dead could manage, and Nisei was moving before he could even rationalize the cause. Thankfully he managed to grasp her limp body at the last moment, but her momentum knocked him off his feet, forcing Nisei to roll in an attempt to dissipate some of the impact.

Easing her body out his grasp, fingers checking her pulse, he breathed easier even as he heard Kojiro shouting in alarm. Both however, became secondary to the new voice that drifted from just beyond the gates.

"I see the little brat wasn't alone."

Getting to his feet and turning in one motion, Nisei watched the Kumo Jōnin step into the compound. The man paused, scanning the gathered ninja before fixing his gaze on Nisei, smirking. "Tell her sensei she needs more training."

Nisei wondered how to respond to that, perhaps he should inform this man of his rapidly approaching death? Because once Naruto learned of this there would be no stopping the fury he would unleash; the boy had already lost Anko and that fury was just waiting to explode. Nisei also mused on simply leaving the man ignorant to his fate, after all, it would be more satisfying to observe that way.

Unfortunately before Nisei could settle on a course of action, Anjin acted. With a wordless cry of anger the Genin charged head long at the enemy, fingers flying through several hand seals. Nisei, startled, watched for a moment as the boy closed the gap and then skidding to a halt caused the earth to split and launch several lances made of rock.

The Kumo ninja countered with a flash of hand seals, resulting in a chain of lighting turning the lances to ash, which didn't seem to deter Anjin from his next attack. By the time Nisei started to move, he was several seconds too late; Anjin was in mid-air from a jump, attempting a spinning kick that the enemy neatly avoided by leaning back and then countered with a punch to Anjin's chest.

The flash of lighting that exploded from Anjin, sending the smoldering body toppling backwards, nearly blinded Nisei. Still he knew who his enemy was now and he would have to act to keep the other two Genin out of combat. This was no simple Kumo Jōnin, but rather a member of the notorious Jinkourai Clan.

Teru was calling for some attack, his voice high and strained, but Nisei curtailed that. Darting into the younger ninja's path, Nisei grabbed Teru's wrist, pivoted and hurled the startled Genin into a motionless Kojiro. Leaping away, Nisei landed with a skid as a lightning bolt exploded upward from his previous position.

The Kumo Jōnin paused for a moment, considering the Genin before giving Nisei his full attention "I take it back. That first girl wasn't half bad."

Nisei remained silent, careful to keep his mind blank as he spread more of his family along the ground. From there they fanned out, surrounding them both, in preparation for the looming battle with this ninja. Fighting a member of the Jinkourai Clan was not something many could, or would, do; their techniques were the perfect counter to the Hyūga after all.

The Jinkourai bloodline 'Denkai Myaku' allowed them to sense the pulse of electrical fields, granting them a reading ability similar to the Byakugan. The range was limited to the average Shinobi's range of vision, but the closer you got to the Jinkourai, the stronger it became. Get too close, such as where Nisei was at the moment, and they could read a persons electrical impulses and predict what they were going to do.

Adjusting his position, Nisei knew if he didn't end it quick this would turn ugly quick. His finger twitched and the man shifted his body slightly, in preparation to move. Nisei scowled at that, taking a breath before letting it out slowly, his nerves screaming at him to act. He hadn't been this on edge since facing Zabuza as a Genin all those years ago.

He almost shivered as a trail of sweat rolled down the side of his face, and his stomach rolled.

Nisei blurred into motion, his right arm flinging itself forward in a half-throw half-whip motion, sending a swarm of Kikaichu from his left side toward the enemy. The Kumo ninja responded fluidly, hands forming two hand seals before the Kikaichu were decimated as the air exploded with a nearly deafening crack of thunder. Nisei however, had already sent more of his family to the attack, which was once more countered by a crack of thunder.

No doubt about it, the man was definitely Jinkourai. That was their Clan's main defensive technique, the Hekireki, which made physical attacks pointless. Provided you couldn't slip your attack between each use, Nisei amended grimly as he sent rapid medium-sized Kikaichu swarms at the man.

Charging left, circling around the stationary Kumo ninja, Nisei kept the relentless swarms flying. His main goal at the moment was to press the Hekireki and keep the Kumo ninja from launching a counter-attack, or thinking about Nisei's strategy. Sadly, this method collapsed when the Kumo ninja blurred into motion as the latest swarm was taken out by a Hekireki.

Nisei backpedaled from the charging enemy, directing various swarms as he went, but the Kumo ninja dodged or ducked each attack with a relentless grace. It seemed almost instantaneous when the Kumo ninja got within striking distance, fist flying toward Nisei's chest, where upon impact a bolt of lightning tore through the torso.

Thankfully Nisei managed to avoid an instant death by switching places with a Kikaichu Bunshin at the last minute. Skidding from the quick momentum, Nisei flung a hand out, creating a towering wall of Kikaichu as the enemy pressed his attack. The wall crumbled a few minutes later, under a rain of lightning bolts, but by then Nisei had created several Kikaichu Bunshin who made a lunging tackle at the Kumo ninja.

Admittedly they were not a threat to the enemy, but they occupied the man long enough for Nisei to gain enough distance to retrieve a scroll and unbind it. Tossing it high, he formed a hand seal, releasing the sealed lightning bolt; which temporarily disturbed the electrical charge in the area. As the Kumo ninja flinched away, Nisei decided to launch his only high-level attack: Spreading his arms wide, Nisei let out a breath, and brought them forward filling the air with the sound of hundreds of thousands of bugs swarming to attack.

The living tidal wave of Kikaichu rushed toward the enemy, slamming into the enemy, engulfing them. The innumerable mass swirled into a violently spinning tower. Their buzzing turned into a high-pitched whine as the tower drove itself down, creating a whirlpool before spouting uptward as a fountain once before drifting back to the ground leaving a massive crater behind.

Collapsing to a knee, Nisei gasped for breath as his chakra dropped low and body trembled. He wasn't used to controlling so many Kikaichu at once, and it was a strain Nisei wasn't thrilled to experience. Still, at least that last attack had finished this battle, he hadn't wanted to go this route but at least it had worked.

Gaze drifting toward the sprawled form of Hanabi and the other unconscious Genin, Nisei closed his eyes trying to recover. A second later his Kikaichu screamed a warning in his mind and he snapped his eyes open, pushing his body into a somersault, avoiding a lightning enhanced punch. Flinging his hand out, Nisei sent a chakra infused Kikaichu burrowing into the man's eye and through his skull before exiting the back of the Kumo nin's skull in a spray of gore and bone.

The edges of his vision darkening, he fumbled with a pouch before popping a solider pill. His impending blackout staved off Nisei sent word to Ino about the situation. He wasn't sure if she got the message, there was no answer, but he didn't have time worry about that.

* * *

_Hi no Kuni, Region 7, Akemi Temple…_

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Karin had a headache, or more accurately a migraine, and sadly she could do nothing to tame it. She was not a medical ninja, and she had run out of aspirin weeks ago. So all she could do was grimace and bare the growing migraine, praying for the strength to hold out until the source would leave.

"Wah, Karin-chan!" Tobi said, bounding up to her, his tone entirely too cheerful "look, a butterfly!"

"I know." Karin managed with gritted teeth, glaring darkly at an amused Suigetsu. If it wasn't for the fact that she knew the true nature of Tobi's chakra she would have killed him weeks ago. But she held her tongue, because no matter how buffoonish he might act, his chakra was unbelievable large and unbelievably tainted.

Put in terms of color, his chakra was the very depths of darkness tinged with crimson.

Still as disturbing as that was, it was even more disturbing to realize that Sasuke's own chakra was of the same nature. Neither her _brother_ nor Orochimaru had chakra of such color. Orochimaru's was a greenish-black while Naruto's was a co-mingling of blue and red.

Feeling the attention of Sasuke she met his gaze, fighting the urge to tremble. The boy seemed to have developed control issues since the last time they met, and worse yet he wasn't above using genjutsu to get what he wanted. He was exerting his will now, and Karin was letting him simply because it was preferable to his forcefully exerting it.

Like Tobi had last night.

Karin didn't have clear memories from last night, but from the dull soreness in her body she **_knew_** . It was also no great leap of logic for her to realize that Tobi was not only a Uchiha, but had used a Sharingan aided genjutsu to have fun with her. Of course, Karin didn't have to worry about Sasuke doing that, he was loyal to Sakura but still…being controlled by one Uchiha was enough.

When his attention shifted away, Karin breathed a little easier while contemplating helping her _brother_ slaughter the bastards. She could put off her vengence for that long couldn't she? Besides, she had already landed a stinging blow against Naruto, revealing his status as a Jinchūriki to his girlfrined had to count.

"Something going on with you two?" Suigetsu asked, turning up at her side and Karin gave him a cool gaze, keeping her temper. At her look, the former Kiri ninja frowned "There is, isn't there."

"No." Karin said "he's fixated on Sakura."

"Then what was with that look?" Sugiestu asked, sounding sour.

"Establishing his control," Karin offered softly, adding before she realized it: "I prefer his method to how Tobi did it last night."

Suigetsu stared at her for a moment before his eyes flashed in what could only be outrage. Karin felt touched in an odd way, they didn't get along, but it was nice to know he could feel outrage on her behalf. That's when she noticed his hand moving for a sword and she grabbed his wrist, shaking her head vehemently.

"Let me gut him." Suigetsu hissed holding her gaze.

"No." Karin whispered glancing at the others, a little worried that Tobi was holding a whispered conversation with Sasuke. "These men, they're stronger than Orochimaru-sama. Even that worthless brother of mine wouldn't be able to handle them both."

"I seriously don't like this shit," Suigetsu spat back in an undertone, wrenching his wrist from her grasp, _scowling_, "killing and pillage are one thing, but rape? That's something only a Kegare would do, even eta are above it."

"Be quiet!" Karin hissed sharply, jamming an elbow into his ribs. If either of those two heard what he was saying things would get extremely messy very quickly. "For once, just listen to me you fish bastard."

"Fine, stupid know-it-all bitch." Suigetsu muttered, before moving past her and the others taking point while gulping water from his bottle.

Karin watched him, unsure of how to react. His outrage touched her, his insistence that what Tobi had done was lower than low was sweet, but it was also disturbing. Suigetsu had never shown such consideration toward past kunoichi that had been raped, not even those that he counted as comrades, in the past he had always seemed to take some amusement in it.

"So, so, are we there yet?" Tobi suddenly asked, popping up at her side without warning, bouncing on the balls of his feet like a child "Eh? Karin-chan, are we, are we?"

"No." Karin said, keeping her tone even, "but we should be close. Akemi Temple shouldn't be more than a few minutes away."

"Yay!" Tobi said, darting past Suigestu in a blur of hyper activity, yelling for them to hurry up. Sasuke grunted, continuing at his sedated pace while Suigestu muttered darkly. Karin grimaced, hanging back keeping a wary eye on Sasuke, feeling anxious to finish this quickly.

A few minutes later, she and the others caught up with Tobi who was bouncing in place on the edge of an outlook. A cursory glance confirmed a moderately sized temple below, populated with dark-haired monks, dressed in off-white robes. Sensing Tobi's attention shifting toward her, Karin closed her eyes adopting a stance similar to the basic chakra molding position.

It was difficult at first; Sasuke and Tobi's chakra were so overwhelming that they blocked out not only Suigetsu but the mass of gathered Hyūga monks below. Concentrating even harder however, Karin eventually managed to extend her Kagura Shingan past them, and to engulf the temple below.

She didn't push hard now, instead she merely fluttered her sense across the expanse of chakra, getting a feel for them. Then she settled down to the tedious job of locating a canary yellow chakra among a crowd of yellow chakra. Sweeping her Kagura Shingan across a new part of the group surprised at how tricky differentiating the chakra was. She would have expected an Uchiha hidden among Hyūga to be easier to spot, if Sasuke and Tobi's chakra was anything to go by.

Several minutes later she spotted a darker chakra than the others, located right in the center. It was faint, either from bad health or chakra suppression, but that was it. Withdrawing her senses, Karin let out a breath, opening her eyes to look at the expectant group of ninja. "She's in the center of the group, her chakra is faint so either she's in bad health or being suppressed."

"Really? Aww," Tobi said, before clapping his hands "I guess Suigetsu and me will go get her then."

"Why?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"Because, you're still recovering from that fight with Naruto-kun!" Tobi said, his voice having dropped to a mock-whisper. At Sasuke's glare he held his hands up in an defensive position "I'm just saying. Nothing to be upset or embarrassed about, he's quite powerful you know."

"Fine." Sasuke managed darkly, looking away.

"Come, this won't take long." Tobi announced happily motioning Suigetsu to follow him before he disappeared without warning. Karin raised an eyebrow at such casual use of a time-space ninjutsu. Suigetsu stepped up beside her, hesitating before he glanced at her, which made Karin arch an eyebrow, and then he pulled his swords and leapt out of the small area and hit the ground in front of the temple running.

Letting out a breath, Karin relaxed with the knowledge that this would soon all be over. Tobi and Sasuke would be far away, leaving her and Suigetsu to get the new prize back to Orochimaru in peace. Then once this new Uchiha was delivered into Kabuto's care, she could get back to her real mission.

That being the continued torture and punishment of her dear _brother_, she might not be able to hurt the Yondaime or her mother, but she could get revenge on them. What she would do next, Karin wasn't sure, but she had plenty of time to prepare, she was determined to make Naruto suffer. It was the least he could do in exchange for the great Yondaime seducing Kushina and for Kushina abandoning her year old daughter to run away with the man.

They had destroyed a happy family, and Uzumaki Naruto was going to pay for their sins. Karin would ensure that Naruto suffered: Betrayal by his friends, his family tortured to death, his lover raped as he watched helplessly, and then his village utterly destroyed. It was only then, when Naruto was left broken and sobbing in the ashes of his life, that Karin would kill him.

Quickly and painlessly, because after all, he was her brother.

* * *

_Nami no Kuni..._

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Ino scowled from beneath her genjutsu, wondering about the lack of guards, until she remembered the guard tower which made their logic obvious. The tower would provide early warning, and anyone coming through those gates would encounter well trained samurai. Ino snorted in annoyance at such complacency, they should know better.

Her earpiece hissed to life: "Ino?" Nisei's voice said. "Are you in position?"

"I'm ready." Ino assured him, slipping the hilt of Raijin-ken from the loop on her waist. Slowing her breathing to try and settle her nerves, she began concentrating chakra in her hand.

"Good. Move when Naruto gives the signal."

"Check." Ino said, before letting out a slow breath, fingers absently twitching against the smooth hilt of Raijin-ken. Once this was over she'd make sure to wrap it, which in hindsight she should have done before now. A moment later an odd explosive sound filled the air, followed by Naruto's voice shouting his intent of making everyone his 'bitch', pulled Ino from her thoughts.

The signal given, Ino let the chakra concentrated in her hand flow into the hilt and Raijin-ken crackled to life with a blade of lightning narrower than she remembered. A quick well-placed thrust opened the gate, and Ino darted inside amid a beehive of frantic samurai.

Still hidden by her Genjutsu, Ino studied the frantic samurai; most were rushing toward the main compound, while a few were staring in panic at the gates she had just come through. Cutting the two nearest down without effort, Ino allowed her Genjutsu to dissolve sending a ripple of further panic through the samurai.

The din of shouts and confused orders almost allowed the twang of bowstrings go unnoticed, but Ino was better than that. She dodged to the side, weaved her way forward through them, cutting down any that got in her way; a moment later Raijin-ken pierced through the first archers chest plate effortlessly. Pivoting, while pulling her blade free, Ino separated a second archers arm from his body at the elbow then a twirl to flip the hilt into a reverse grip, and Ino finished the job with a stab between the shoulder blades of samurai.

Grabbing the back of the armor she hauled the limp body around just in time to shield herself from a second wave of arrows. Hurling the body at the two remaining archers, Ino moved to the right and used her free hand to form the tora seal and unleashed a Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu. Ino watched just long enough to ensure that that large fireball engulfed both samurai, before moving on to engage those samurai that weren't willing to engage Naruto.

Raijin-ken flowed from situation to situation, and those that faced her were cut down and those that didn't disappeared into the chaos. As her battle progressed, Ino wondered at the feel of the weapon; it was lighter than a typical sword, with most of its weight centered in the unique Tsuba. This made certain techniques easier to manipulate while at the same time making others more difficult; but strangest of all was that while the blade was made of lightning, it could not only pierce but cut.

That was an oddity that she would have to resolve later, but still it stood out as an unusual property to Raijin-ken.

Side-stepping as the body of her latest opponent toppled, Ino registered the sound of rushing feet and whirled in time to avoid the downward chop of her newest opponent. The Kaminari Samurai moved back before she could make a thrust, and resettled his weight into a better stance. Ino paused, studying the older man, and then adjusted her grip into a single-handed version.

The samurai moved forward slow, cautiously closing the gap, before he struck with a blindingly fast slash. Ino slipped beneath the slash, stabbing her blade upward intending to strike his chest, but the man moved back with a jump to avoid the angled thrust. Ino continued her attack without hesitation, attempting a slanted slice that drove him even further back.

Resettling her weight, Ino felt a tight grin forming. This samurai had skill, real skill, and if that look on his face indicated anything he realized she had skill as well. Twirling Raijin-ken, which produced an odd crackling sound, Ino resumed her offense and lunged at the man, slashing side to side, driving him back.

His movements flowed from a single line, his weight was centered perfectly; more importantly he didn't blink. Not once during her entire assault did he bat an eye, his intent focused entirely on avoiding her deadly weapon. Which was why a moment later the flow of battle shifted; he had finally found an opening and began his own attack.

Ino went on the defensive, dodging and ducking his deadly series of slashes and strikes. Soon Ino was forced to bring her blade to bear, something she had been trying to avoid, and the katana retreated quickly, its wielder breathing heavily. Ino took the moment to adjust her grip and scowl at her opponent, his age was beginning to catch up to him and oddly Ino felt no desire to cut this man down.

"You can retreat you know." Ino offered, half-glancing at the other retreating samurai "You wouldn't be the only one."

"You present a choice of life or death, but you know that Bushido is found in death." The samurai said as he adjusted his stance, adopting a balanced two-handed position. "You offer no choice at all Shinobi. I choose death."

Ino grimaced; wishing he had taken her offer, killing a kenjutsu artist would be like destroying a piece of art. Of course, she didn't have to kill him, there was another option. Without warning Ino blurred into a Shunshin, circling behind the startled samurai where she reappeared with a swift blow to his neck.

"Forgive me," Ino said, staring at the now unconscious man, "but I can't have you interfering in this mission."

That taken care of, Ino turned her attention back to her surroundings, unsurprised to find groups of Samurai blindly fleeing as several Kage Bunshin of Naruto charged after them. They raced past, ignoring her, frantic in their attempts at reaching the secondary gate and safety. Her attention refocused however, to a samurai charging at her screaming wildly, katana high over his head for a death strike.

Ino whirled to avoid the death blow, her blade grazing their lower back. Coming out of her spin, she inverted Raijin-ken as the samurai collapsed in pain, clutching at his wounded side. A swift stab downward served the body from neck, the smell of seared flesh wafting upward.

Her attention shifted however at the sound of a crack of thunder, and turning she raced into the main compound. No sooner had she reached the battle scared and body littered ground than she had a new attacker; registering his weapons, she leapt back before skidding to a halt and adjusting her grip on Raijin-ken. Across from her stood an attractive young man, a Kumo Jōnin if his vest and sash told her anything, about a year older than Naruto.

Eying him warily, Ino attempted to settle into a more balanced stance as her heart thundered in her ears from her first encounter with a Kumo Jōnin.

He gave her a charming smile, though a hint of cruelty showed, and twirled his weapons -Sai wreathed in lighting- before offering a mocking bow. Ino shook her unease off, she could do this, she had face Hoshigaki Kisame, an S-rank criminal, and this was just some no-named Jōnin from Kumo. Ino rolled her shoulders subtly, repeating such reassurances as she shifted her weight to the balls of her feet.

The Kumo ninja moved first, rushing at her, the prongs of his Sai crackling with lightning. Ino ducked the first slash and pivoted to avoid the follow up strike from the left. Her Raijin-ken whirled around, only for a Sai to deflect it, forcing her to leap back to a void a stab at her stomach.

Skidding to a halt, she threw her body to the side as he pressed his attack. Hitting the ground with a shoulder roll, her hand flashed through a few hand seals before unleashing a lightning from beneath the enemy. Unfortunately, the enemy Jōnin managed to avoid the attack, but it did break his stride allowing Ino to resume the offensive.

Darting forward, Ino adopted a zig-zag pattern, sweeping Raijin-ken side to side. The crackling of Raijin-ken became a hum from the fury of her onslaught as the Kumo Jōnin dodged, or when that was impossible, blocked her attacks. Never once however, did he lose his smirk, as if he knew something that nobody else knew and that it amused him greatly.

Free hand flashing through the hand seal for a Fūton: Daitoppa, Ino exhaled sharply, unleashing a blast of wind. The Kumo ninja managed to dodge to the side, avoiding the full force of the wind, though still forced to jab his Sai into the ground to hold his ground against the wind. Ino wasted no time in launching her next attack, channeling charka to her legs before leaping into the air with tremendous force, the arc of her leap carrying her forward.

Raijin-ken curved overhead, both of her hands grasping the hilt of her weapon, as she dropped upon her unprepared enemy. Her crackling blade of lightning was inches away from piercing her enemy when the Kumo ninja rolled to the side, one of his crackling sai capturing her blade between the prongs. Hitting the ground in a kneeling position, Ino grimaced, Raijin-ken sliding into the earth as the enemy's sai twisted further trapping her weapon.

Realizing her precarious situation, Ino disrupted her chakra to Raijin-ken prompting the blade of lightning to disappear. Jumping back and away, Ino managed to avoid the retaliatory strike from her enemy. Landing awkwardly, Ino allowed her chakra to flow back into her weapon, reigniting her weapon.

She would have charged back in, but the man was already on his feet, crouching in a balanced stance with his sai tucked against either arm. Undoubtedly, they would spin out at a moment's notice if Ino made such a foolish decision to charge blindly ahead as she had intended. Ino was beginning to reconsider her use of Raijin-ken; she would need access to all of her kenjutsu techniques, which meant she needed Yuzuha.

Regrettably, Ino doubted she could switch weapons quick enough, which meant she would have to tough it out with Raijin-ken.

"As fun as this has been," the Kumo ninja said, giving her a faint grin, "We'll have to cut our date short."

"What?" Ino asked, eyes widening before they narrowed in understanding and charged forward with a Shunshin. He moved to the side blocking her strike, but Ino spun to the left planting a sidekick to his stomach. As he stumbled back, gasping for air, Ino shot forward with another Shunshin, plunging Raijin-ken at his chest.

Coughing, he managed to twist aside to avoid the stab, and Ino moved seamlessly into a spinning crouch. As he straightened out, Ino came out of her spinning crouch, applying the principal of the Shunshin to her arm plunging Raijin-ken upward. The blade seared through flesh and bone, sliding past his ribs and into the heart.

Disrupting her charka to cause the lightning blade to disappear, Ino shoved the slumping body away with a grunt. Arm dropping to her side, Ino became acutely aware of how much she had overtaxed her body as her heart hammered painfully against her ribcage and her muscles trembled. Taking several deep gasps for air, Ino tried to focus on her surroundings, but realizing that there was no immediate danger she closed her eyes trying to recover.

Ino counted her blessings that her heart hadn't given out, Shunshin taxed the body badly and she had rapidly used too many. Still the fight was over and she had learned very important details about Raijin-ken, and there was no doubt she could hold her own now. A moment later her earpiece crackled to life with Nisei's voice: "Ino, we have an emergency."

"What?" Ino asked, snapping out of her stupor "What happened?"

"A Kumo Jōnin took out my team, I have one dead and one seriously wounded." Nisei answered, his voice thick "Its Hanabi, Ino."

Ino felt her heart skip, a jolt of fear charging through her. Without even answering, Ino started running, racing through the main compound, weaving and jumping over the sprawled bodies. Reaching the blasted gates of the prisoner compound, she located Nisei and rushed toward him before dropping to her knees as she came to a skidding stop.

A moment later, her hands were glowing with a medical technique.

* * *

Dirt and debris flew into the air, scattered in a cloud of destruction as the Rasengan connected with the ground. Landing in a crouch, Naruto shifted his gaze toward the ninja that had just narrowly managed to avoid his attack. The older man landed nimbly, face impassive while staring at him with what had to be silent contemplation.

Naruto's fingers balled into fists, teeth grinding, and heart thudding in his ears. This battle had been entirely one-sided since his enemy did nothing other than dodge, usually with such speed and timing that it left Naruto confused as to how man was managing such a feat. Anger spiking he lunged toward his enemy once more, hurling numerous kunai and when the man dodged, Naruto sent a half dozen Kage Bunshin after the man.

Not that it did any good; the man dodged the various Kage Bunshin who promptly exploded in his wake. Landing with a skid, Naruto swore as the last of his Kage Bunshin exploded into a puff of smoke. The only thing he got from the memories of his Kage Bunshin was the sensation of a punch grazing them.

"Fight back you bastard!" Naruto shouted, frustrated beyond words.

"I'm not quite so stupid as to do that Uzumaki-san." the man answered, somewhat chidingly. "You are primarily a close range fighter and use numerous wind ninjutsu."

"Coward." Naruto spat, eyes narrowing.

"It's not cowardice but common sense," the man said, grinning, "besides, who said I ever intended to fight with you?"

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked, blinking as he felt a sneaking suspicion washing over him. Yugito had told him three years ago that Kumo would be interested in him. Since they hadn't seen him in combat, Naruto wouldn't put it past them to use the first fight to gather intelligence on him.

"I think you know." The man said, eying him closely. "You're an A-Rank level threat, easily."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Naruto asked his tone dark.

"Your threat rating, I figured you might like to know." The man said, shrugging "I'd hazard a guess and say you have the highest threat rank of your team."

"There's a shocker," Naruto muttered, before shooting toward the man with an advanced Shunshin. Reaching the man a half-second later, Naruto delivered one of the most devastating punches he had ever thrown, but the man had already dodged the blow and was standing well out of range. Turning, Naruto felt his control slipping, the Kyūbi chakra starting to leak out, forcing him to divert his attention to suppressing it.

"Hmm, maybe I was wrong earlier," The man said, his tone thoughtful.

"You fuckin talk too much." Naruto growled, knowing that if he could just get a hit in this would be his fight. The problem was anything he tried, from long range attacks to fake-outs, the man was able to avoid easily. Trying to puzzle the situation out, the only thing Naruto knew for sure was that his enemy wasn't using a time-space move like the Harishin no Jutsu.

Pissed and frustrated, Naruto began to seriously consider using the Kyūbi's chakra. He only hesitated because he wouldn't want to risk unleashing that much chakra and still being unable to close the deal. No, he wouldn't use that damned demon's power until he figured out how the hell the man was avoiding him.

The Kyūbi though egged him on through their empathic link, and his jaw muscles clenched and unclenched in mounting anger. Thankfully before he did anything rash, his radio crackled to life with Nisei's voice: "Naruto, its Hanabi."

"What are you-" Naruto started to say, before pausing as his mind ground to a halt. Realization slammed into him like a runaway Akimichi heading for an all you can eat buffet. Hanabi was...they had...his little sister...

Like fire touching oil, battle lust flooded his mind and body. The world exploded as his body hurtled itself toward his enemy, ninjutsu raining down in an attempt to wipe his enemy from the face of the earth. The air became alive with the sound of shouted curses and thick with enough excess chakra that it would have left many agog.

The man dodged easily at first, but panic was flooding his face as the ninjutsu came faster and faster. Each dodge was by a narrower margin, and before long a ninjutsu finally connected: as the man dodged an explosive kunai, an unexpected blast of wind threw him higher into the air where a Kage Bunshin sent him racing back toward the earth with an elbow to the back.

Almost to the ground, a kick to the ribs from the real Naruto sent him jack-knifing horizontally before he crashed into the side of a nearby building. Crouching, fingers touching the ground, Naruto jumped skyward like a toad before crashing through the roof of the barracks unleashing a 'Kamikaze no Jutsu' that caused the building to explode outward from the force of the swirling wind.

Panting, Naruto found his enemy laying in a heap amid debris and shot toward the unmoving man. Almost on top of the prone form, his sixth sense warned Naruto away and jumping dodged to the right as the man exploded into a bolt of lightning. Landing in a skid, Naruto swore loudly realizing that the man had switched places with a Rai Bunshin.

"Naruto! Are you there? Did you hear me?" Nisei's voice shouted through the radio, making Naruto wince from the volume.

"I'm on my way." Naruto growled before ripping the earpiece off, taking one last look around before creating five Kage Bunshin and handed each a stack of explosive notes without a word of explanation, before hurrying toward Hanabi and the others. A second later he was storming through the gates, before he stopped cold, fury washed under by fear and dread.

Ino was kneeling beside Hanabi, hands glowing brighter than he had ever seen, and Hanabi…she wasn't breathing…icy claws dug deep into his heart. It was, he wanted to sink to his knees, scream his throat raw, but he didn't. Naruto simply stared mutely at the still form of his little sister, and only breathed easier when he finally caught the faint rise and fall of her chest.

She wasn't dead.

"Ino believes Hanabi will live," Nisei said from his side, tone low, "but we need to get her back to the base immediately."

Naruto nodded, his gaze never wavering. Nothing else really mattered right then, not Nisei who was still prattling on about the other Genin, or about how this had all been a trap. All that mattered was that Hanabi was going to live, he wouldn't have to bury another person he cared about.

Registering the medical jutsu fading from Ino's hands, he started forward, reaching her as she slumped sideways. Naruto managed to catch and steady her, and when she looked up at him he met her gaze surprised at the exhaustion shining up at him. Irrationally he was overcome by a sudden urge to kiss her right then, but even through the sheer relief washing through him he couldn't quite forget their argument in Konoha.

"We can move her now." Ino croaked, not looking away from him.

"Thank you." Naruto said, voice thick with emotion before looking at his unconscious sister. "I'll get us back, you just sleep ok?"

"Good plan." Ino managed before her body went limp against him.

"Get the others," Naruto said, easing her to the ground, glancing up at a neutral looking Nisei. "I'll summon us a ride back."


	32. Chapter 30: Hi no Kuni

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 30  
_-Hi no Kuni-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

_Hi no Kuni, Region 2, City of Nara..._

:

The city of Nara was not the place most people would try to fortify against a siege, though they probably didn't have much of a choice. Motioning for Akamaru to split left and take the next inner barricade alone, Kiba mused that while he didn't know the exact numbers it was obvious Oto had only been able to hold Region Two for so long because of the technology they had been employing.

Not that it had kept Konoha from taking the region back, though it had been costly at first. Now though a combination of reverse engineering those cannon and a new battle strategy, Oto was fighting a losing war despite the ongoing Nami no Kuni Conflict. Shaking his thoughts off, he veered right winding his way deeper into the city in search of a ninja.

It was part of the new strategy, a three wave plan: Konoha ninja hit the targeted village first taking out any enemy ninja or cannon present, before they moved onto the next village. Samurai would roll in after them, taking out any enemy samurai that were still left and then after they left a larger contingent of samurai would take up position in the city to create a new border. Unfortunately the city of Nara was proving more time-consuming that usual, there were so many interconnecting streets and places to hide that the three teams assigned to the mission had been forced to break into two man-squads.

That was why he had sent Akamaru ahead to the barricade Kiba felt he was more than capable of handling any Oto ninja he came across.

Besides it wasn't like they would be one of the Shi-nin, Oto was keeping them free-roaming between villages so they could attack teams at random. Which was just fine with him, his single encounter had been bad enough and he honestly didn't want to deal with any of these 'improved' versions that rumor had were out there. Creeping himself out, Kiba shoved thoughts about them aside and focused on the immediate situation.

Kiba paused, sniffed the air, and looked around at the dark alley branching off the street. Snorting in disgust at the scent of garbage and other assorted foul stenches, he set off once more. He had taken no more than a few steps however when his ears registered the near silent sound of a soft-soled sandal on pavement. Whirling he avoided the shuriken, followed by kunai, and countered with his own hurled weapons.

They flew true, until the gray garbed Oto ninja lifted his arm, revealing an odd bracelet which promptly snapped open to create a shield. The kunai and shuriken bounced off the new surface with a scraping noise that made Kiba wince. His heightened senses worked against him there, and it only grew worse as his world spun wildly as colors blurred, and a high pitched whine assaulted his ears causing nausea to swipe over him.

Collapsing to a knee, one hand firmly pressing against the ground, he growled low screwing his eyes shut tightly trying to disrupt his chakra. Wasn't working, he'd never been that good at countering genjutsu and this guy obviously had experience with it. Only genjutsu users with a great deal of experience could mess with two senses, such as sight and sound, at the same time. Kiba's concentration was broken a moment later by the sharp pain as a shuriken bit into his shoulder.

"Aww, poor widdle puppie." a voice gloated, distorted horribly.

Kiba risked opening his eyes only to find the world dancing in a sickening pace and pattern, and he shut them quickly. More instinct than anything allowed him to dodge enough to avoid the kunai that grazed his arm, hitting the ground he tried to regain his balance but fell forward. Getting his hands and knees under him he pushed up, which only served to aggravate his nausea and regurgitated his lunch.

Great, just what he needed.

Concentrating even harder, blocking out the acidic smell inches from his face, he tried to disrupt his chakra yet again. This time a foot made contact with his stomach and sent him rolling sideways. Skidding around, he lashed out, expecting a follow up attack and his elongated finger nails found a brief purchase in the flesh of a leg.

He would have pressed the attack, if he could touch them then he could fight, but his body lost its balance and he collapsed onto his shoulder. Pushing his way upright again, he growled in frustration but glad that this wasn't one of those rare cursed seal freaks or a special agent. The average Oto ninja seemed to enjoy taunting Konoha ninja for some insane reason which meant Kiba had a decent chance of coming out of this alive.

Still, there was the real chance that Kurenai or Akamaru could be facing a more dangerous opponent and he needed to help them. Which was all well and good, but he was under a powerful genjutsu that he couldn't break free from. Ugh, he could probably figure something out if he could just get his world to stop spinning-

Wait a minute.

Kiba was no expert on genjutsu, but he knew the basics and he knew for a fact that genjutsu designed to affect sight like this needed his eyes to be looking at something. It couldn't affect him if he had his eyes closed, the genjutsu wasn't attacking two different senses it was attacking only one: his sight. The sneaky bastard was affecting his balance and creating his nausea through sound, and Kiba's enhanced senses were helping the attack wreak more damage to him.

Fighting a dangerous grin, he concentrated all of his of his chakra into his sense of smell. The sound of the world dulled from its previously sharp intensity, though his vertigo persisted and the scents surrounding him came into crystal-sharp focus. A shuriken grazed his cheek, but he paid it no real intention, instead he focused on eliminating the weaker and older scents that surrounded him.

It was hard to do that, especially with the Shuriken now coming with more frequency, but he didn't have much time. He zeroed in on the ninja slowly, which was actually made easier by the acidic sent of vomit. The bastard had gotten it on him when he kicked Kiba earlier, and that gave away his position: behind Kiba, approaching from the left shoulder.

The scent grew stronger and Kiba braced for his next action, he had only one chance at this and he didn't want to blow it. When the scent was at its strongest Kiba shifted his weight forward and kicked out behind him hard, taking the man's knees out. Rolling away, fighting his urge to throw up, Kiba recovered and lunged atop the felled enemy, claws tearing chunks out of the man's back.

A sharp twist of the neck after that and Kiba cautiously opened his eyes to stare down at the dead ninja beneath him. He considered the enemies average face for a moment then stumbled to his feet. Allowing his chakra to flow to the rest of his senses, he breathed out doubling over to brace his hands against his knees.

A moment later he gave his head one final shake and turned on the radio he wore "Hey, Kurenai-sensei, we have a problem."

"I've noticed." Kurenai shot back curtly and Kiba couldn't help the bark-like laugh that escaped him.

* * *

He was too slow and the kick connected with his head, sending him crashing into a nearby wall. Pain lanced through Konohamaru and the Genin promptly slumped to the ground like a discarded doll. Thankfully the Oto ninja was distracted into blocking several kunai with his odd wrist shield and forced into retreat.

Chen came hurtling down to shake Konohamaru by the shoulder and then leapt away, trailing more kunai in his wake as the Oto ninja charged. Not that Konohamaru could really say he was aware of the fight at the moment, the pain was playing havoc with him, but he knew he couldn't keep sitting there like some useless lump. Chen was by no stretch a fighter all of his skills were geared toward tracking.

Konohamaru struggled to his feet, using his legs and the wall for support, before locating the distracted Oto ninja and promptly throwing a kunai with an explosive note attached. Unfortunately the weapon went wide and exploded on impact with the front of a shop, and Konohamaru realized belatedly how badly his vision was mess up. A minute later any concern about his damaged sight was erased as the Oto ninja loomed out of nowhere, pummeling Konohamaru with punches and kicks.

He had avoided faster, more devastating blows, earlier but his attempts to do so this time merely moved him directly into the path of a knee. The bony surface slammed into his stomach, driving air out of him and he listed away blindly trying to avoid taking more damage. At twelve, Konohamaru was aware that he had a limit to how long he could seriously fight with an older opponent especially one that had four inches on him and at least fifty pounds, the fact that he was still breathing was a miracle.

Tripping over his feet, Konohamaru fell hard and almost instantly tried to scramble back to his feet.

Half way to his feet, he found an unexpected round-kick sailing at his face and instantly lunged to the side. His weight crashed to the ill-balanced enemy, and he made sure to drive his elbow into the groin as they toppled to the ground. The Genin rolled away quickly from the heap and scrambled to his feet, knowing that if he fought the man on the ground he'd be dead just that much quicker.

Upright once more, he stumbled backwards and selected three -six if you counted both hands- kunai and hurled them at the prone figure. Most went wildly off course, and others bounced off that annoying retractable wrist shield, but at least one managed to catch the enemy in the thigh. Panting, he frantically tried to remember some technique he could use, and then realized his mind was wandering.

Snapping his attention back to the enemy, he found them already on their feet and charging directly at him. It was instinct that formed the hand seals for the _Doton: Doryūheki_ and with a sharp spit, spewed a stream of mud that quickly grew into a solidified wall. It was nowhere near as impressive looking as when others in his family had done it, but it did the trick.

The charge broken, Konohamaru grabbed a kunai in either hand, waiting for the enemy to go around the wall. The Oto nin had just curved around the right side when an exploding weapon from over head diverted him, signaling Chen's return to battle. Sagging against the earthen wall, Konohamaru struggled to follow the running fight while trying to think: He needed something that was both powerful but required little accuracy, sadly he had no Katon techniques because everybody _insisted_ he couldn't use them and no Suiton either as nobody he knew used that element.

He only knew two Doton techniques and they were both defensive and he had no - oh.

Konohamaru began molding chakra, and formed the Tora hand seal, shouting a nonsensical warning for Chen. The other boy moved, knowing the safety word, and the Oto ninja turned only to be caught flat-footed as Konohamaru breathed out, slamming a mass of wind into him. The Oto ninja was lifted off his feet and sent hurtling through the side of a building, which promptly collapsed from the blast of wind that slammed into it.

Exhausted, Konohamaru collapsed to his knees, and caught himself with his hands as he started to fall forward, while gasping for air and vision swimming worse than ever. His mouth felt stuffed full of cotton while some coppery liquid oozed through his mouth. Every muscle he had was screaming at him and he wanted to just go to sleep, but instead he looked up as Chen approached.

Shakily he held his hand out, only to have Chen snort and walk past him, leaving Konohamaru behind. Arm dropping, Konohamaru breathed out with a rattle that worried him.

"Bastard." Konohamaru muttered, hacking and spitting blood before surging to his feet on willpower. He stumbled as his momentum threatened to send him careening back to the ground, but managed to stop that. He took one unsteady step after another, following his 'team mate' while thinking very dark and violent thoughts.

* * *

Kurenai pressed her shoulders and back against the building, forcing her breath to remain silent, or as silent as she could manage. If it hadn't been for her Clans secret genjutsu, there was a real chance she would be dead right then. The only reason she wasn't was Tosho, a fellow captain, had been ahead of her and thus caught in the ambush.

His death, in turn had allowed her to make use of her Clan's secret genjutsu _Hana Tonsou_, which masked her escape by making it appear that her body had dispersed into a shower of flower petals that swirled around the enemy. This had bought her the minutes needed to find a suitable location to hide while figuring out how to handle the situation.

She was just beginning to consider which genjutsu to use, thankful that she had renewed her training, when her radio came to life with static.

"Kurenai-sensei," Kiba all but shouted, his tone worried and strained "we have a problem."

The tension in her chest relaxed almost instantly at hearing his voice, but then she registered the Oto ninja descending from over head. Jumping and twisting gracefully, she managed to avoid a devastating punch from the Oto ninja and caught him with a_ Magen: Karasugun no Kyouen_ letting her back up and move to a better position while he fought an imaginary swarm of attacking crows.

"I've noticed." Kurenai answered curtly, missing Kiba's retort as she fired off several kunai at the man, who reacted by spinning around, his hand coming up as a shield telescoped into existence from the odd gauntlet he wore around his wrist. No sooner had he deflected the weapons, and the shield retreated back into his gauntlet, than he was lunging toward her.

Thankfully Kurenai was faster and more nimble than him: Pivoting, she jammed her hip against his as he reached her while grabbing his arm. A sharp pull, while kicking her hip out, used his forward momentum and sent him sailing over her shoulder. As he rolled with the momentum on impact and back to his feet, Kurenai had already completed the hand seals for a new genjutsu.

He suddenly swayed and stumbled, losing his balance as vertigo seized him due to her _Memai no Jutsu_, not that she was confident it would last long.

"You and Akamaru get to the market area," Kurenai said, reinforcing her genjutsu as his head turned toward her fractionally, "I'll be there soon as I'm done here."

"Right."

She wondered briefly how badly Kiba had gotten hurt, but she pushed it aside and threw a smoke bomb, moving to a new hiding location. Well concealed behind a street cart aided by another genjutsu, she considered her situation. A traditional ninja might not have noticed the small signs, but Kurenai was one of the foremost genjutsu specialist's and any _decent_ genjutsu user paid attention to details.

He had countered her kunai too precisely earlier, and he had indicated he heard her whispered conversation with Kiba just now. It could be some kind of technique, something that made us of echolocation, but she doubted that. Oto had turned out some freaks, but if it was something like echolocation then he would have his eyes closed to really concentrate on the sound.

Could be some kind of technology, Oto ninja used weird things a lot. That wrist shield thing for example, that was the first time Kurenai had seen it in person but she'd heard reports about them earlier. There were Oto ninja that had some kind of portable rapid firing kunai launchers and others that had some kind of forearm device that let them manipulate harmonics.

Kurenai accepted this possibility with odd passiveness, and wondered briefly how easily she adapted. Then again, Kurenai had long since learned that a ninja either adapted or died. Still, accepting the possibility wasn't enough, she had to test her theory to find the best way to exploit any weaknesses.

"Come on big guy." Kurenai whispered, knowing that if heard that then he had good hearing. The only thing quieter would be her breathing and sub harmonics. "Maybe you can have _fun_ with me before you kill me."

There the bait was set.

An instant later she registered a change in her environment and moved just as the cart was overturned by some kind of invisible blast. Rolling to her feet she pivoted hurling a few shuriken and then retreated down the street and around the corner. That technique had been unfamiliar, but obviously used wind, but more importantly she had glimpsed an odd metal device cupping the back of his ear.

That made things a little easier Kurenai mused as she darted into an alley and looped back around to the street she had just left. Knowing he was following her she moved across the street and performed a Henge to hide her location. The biggest weakness the Oto ninja had was there confidence in their technology, it made them arrogant and they took chances that others wouldn't.

She considered using a basic auditory genjutsu, the_ Sakuran no Jutsu_, which would make him hear a faint footstep but that wouldn't be enough. Kurenai needed to deafen him so that he wouldn't be able to respond to anything, which was when she rememebered the _Youki Kiai no Jutsu_. It was the last genjutsu Sakura had created before leaving Konoha and it would cause the Oto ninja to hear a piercing otherworldly scream that started at 90 decibles and doubled every three seconds until it maxed out at nearly 200 decibles.

That was well in excess of the pain threshold and would cripple the man.

Moving hands slowly, Kurenai prepared the genjutsu and when the man came into view, she unleashed the attack. The Oto ninja froze, looking around in search of the noises origin and then a minut later slapped his hands over his ears as he collapsed while screaming. Thirty seconds after that his fingers began gouging at his ears in a desperate attempt at stopping the noise.

Kurenai watched in a kind of detached interest as he ruined his own hearing, and then selecting a kunai, took aim and cut his suffering short. Releasing the Henge, she stood there for another moment before heading for the market place where she found Kiba and Akamaru waiting. Breathing easier she approached both, who noticing her attention seemed to relax as well.

"We have got to get another team mate." Kurenai said, noting the bandages peeking from beneath his jacket and over his thigh "Someone with some medical training. Honestly, you get hurt every time I turn around."

"Well," Kiba quipped, his tone smug, "if you wouldn't keep -"

Kurenai glared at him.

"Nevermind." Kiba finished weakly, nervous.

"Check in with the others." Kurenai said, looking away from the young man, taking in her surroundings. Mentally though she was preparing the lecture she'd have to unleash once they were completely alone. He had to learn when to keep his mouth shut, especially about _that_ and Kurenai would make sure he did learn or it'd be over between them in a heart beat.

* * *

_Miyako, Capital of the Kusa Empire, Kirin Castle..._

:

Utagaibukai Noga felt a sense of tranquility that escaped description as he strode down the hallway. After so long and such waiting, at last things were turning to his will. He not only had the castle secured with the Forced Loyalty Seal, but he had the generals as well and it would soon spread to the rest of his people. Sazuko was still missing, but what did it matter on this day when Akatsuki would keep the bargain and demonstrate their weapon.

Noga still wasn't sure exactly what the weapon was, or what it would do, but he had called in every leader he had. Pain would arrive soon to deliver the news of which target he had selected. Noga had suggested the capital of Kaze no Kuni, since it had no value to him outside of the fact that by destroying it Noga would force Tsuchi concede to the superior power of the Kusa Empire.

Drawing close to a door he nodded at the guard who opened it to reveal an immense, high-raftered room with a ornamented ceiling. Gold-paneled columns supported the rafters, which were made of polished woods. Seated neatly in rows were the 200 hundred officers of his forces, with his generals Jomon, Heian, Mugi and Burando in the front.

Noga entered proudly, moving to take his seat and then once there he acknowledged the various bow from his men before he grinned.

"Greetings my friends, I expect you are all wondering why I have called you here. A little over a week ago, I struck a bargain with an ally. One that will soon test a weapon, which will demonstrate our supreme power to the other nations. Tsuchi no Kuni will be the first to surrender, becoming the first of many to join our empire!"

His men cheered loudly, whether from genuine support or from the loyalty seal, he didn't know.

"I suggested a city of little value to us, the capital of Kaze no Kuni! To Tuschi no Kuni however, this city has become very important. They have placed a great many of their forces there, this blow will cripple their military abilities and prove our greatness!"

Again more cheers, that were promptly silenced when a figure shimmered into being. Despite the shimmering colors that ran through the shadow, Noga knew it to be Pain, those eyes were impossible to miss.

The man stood there silently for several moments, staring at them, before he spoke, his voice distorted. "Daimyo Noga, it is time."

"You've tested the weapon?" Noga asked, eager.

"Not yet," Pain said slowly, "I have a few final words before the weapon is unleashed."

"Very well." Noga said, his stomach uneasy at this but unwilling to protest. He could remember his last in person meeting with the man, Noga wanted to avoid that again in the future. "What do you wish to say?"

"I am prepared to pour my wraith out over the world, to deliver my judgment to the wicked. I come now to ask, are you repentant of your sins?"

"What are you talking about?" Noga asked, eyes widening slowly as the realization of betrayal dawned on him. "You wouldn't!"

"Your pride is a sin that infects the treacherous hearts of others, it has consumed you." Pain said dispassionately. "Behold, the judgment of God."

Noga stared in stupefied disbelief as the image shimmered out of view and a low rumble filled the air. Then the very building began to shake and tremble, a loud groan as ancient stones separated from each other. Monstrous cracks began to appear throughout the stone like rivers and Noga alone had the free will to scream as the world suddenly went white in a flash of searing heat.

* * *

_Konoha, Abandoned Lab..._

:  
Haruno Sakura woke up in a great deal of pain, the kind of pain she associated with chakra backlash. Oddly enough the pain was centered on her forehead, with spidery fingers radiating outward digging into her temples and the crown of her head. Gritting her jaw to brace her nerves, she sat up slowly and then reached up touching the bandages wrapped around her head.

An odd, thrumming warmth radiated from beneath the thick gauze and she let out a silent breath.

How long had she been out? It seemed like only a few minutes ago the ANBU Sealing Expert had put that cursed seal on her. 'This cursed seal was given to the Shodai by the Hyūga before they created the one they use now.' or so the ANBU had gleefully said before activating the seal. Swinging her legs over the side of her cot a sharp cold racing up her legs from the bare metal floor.

"Wonderful." Sakura muttered, sniffing the musty air.

"So you're awake." Tsuande said, her bland voice drifting in from the left.

"Let's see how you handle being branded by a cursed seal." Sakura shot back waspishly, turning her head toward her unseen 'benefactor'. "So what the hell does this thing do anyway?"

"Keeps you in line." Tsunade said her voice drawing closer "Its got a range limit, if you go too far from Konoha it goes off. Attack a Konoha ninja and it cripples you with pain. At least that's the first offense, repeating either a second time will result in brain death."

"Of course." Sakura sighed, angry at the situation. So much for her plan of escaping to find Sasuke, she'd have to get rid of this stupid seal first. She found a certain kind of dark humor in the irony of her situation, trying to find a way to undo one seal had resulted in her getting a brand new one.

"Relax," Tsunade said, her tone coming closer, "I've already deactivated it."

"Huh?"

"I deactivated it." Tsuande said, her tone tired "There was no way I could get you out without some kind of safety, even my influence is limited when it comes to that. On the other hand, I do know something about this particular seal, so once you were released I disabled it. Though I can trigger it anytime I want."

"Right," Sakura said, getting to her feet shakily, "But why?"

"You couldn't do your job otherwise," Tsunade explained, "besides this way I don't have to find someone to unseal you once we're done. Once I get what I want you get to leave and pop out all the little Uchiha brats you want."

"I see." Sakura said, mentally making a note to get a pair of eyes the first chance she got. Of course she would have preferred having her Sharingan back, but she wasn't sure of the exact process Kabuto had used to grow the Artificial Sharingan. Sakura debated about trying to figure the process out in addition to her research for Tsunade, but it would be too much at the moment.

"Come on," Tsunade said after another moment, reaching out to grab her shoulder and started walking, "lets get this tour of your new lab over with."

"I take it this is one of Orochimaru's abandoned labs?" Sakura asked after Tsuande let go. If it wasn't for her sense of hearing she'd have thought the older woman had disappeared on her.

"No." Tsunade said her tone muted "This was Rins'."

"Oh." Sakura said, surprised and a little more comfortable. Rin had been one of her role models during her training, and Sakura simply couldn't feel any kind of danger in being one of her abandoned labs.

"There are four main areas, we just left the living quarters slash office. this hallway leads to the central hub of the lab." Tsuande explained, as the hallway began to slant downward. "After we get into the central hub there are two other corridors, the one of the left leads to a storage area and wet lab. The one of the right leads to the Dry Lab, holding area, operating room and an experimentation area."

"Got it." Sakura said, creating a rough map in her mind for future reference. A second later they reached the central hub and the echo of their footsteps gave her a made estimate of the lab's dimensions. Definitively not a small research lab, Sakura decided as she listened to the hiss of air from over head vents, meaning it was also underground.

Great, she found herself once more under ground.

"So, about this project," Sakura said after a protracted moment "I'm sure you know that the survival rate of lethal chakra poisoning is zero."

"Yes." Tsuande said, and even without her eyes Sakura could imagine her former mentors arched eyebrow. "That's why we're doing this. There are notes back in your office about the treatment I've discovered. It temporarily alleviates the condition, but the patient eventually falls into remission and each time involves a shorter time frame."

"Which in turn means you have to, what, double the dosage for each treatment?" Sakura asked, mentally weighing what little theory there was in the field. When Tsunade didn't respond, Sakura continued grimly. "It also in turn worsens the patient."

"Yes."

"So basically, you want me to research alternative treatments." Sakura said, turning instinctively toward her current benefactor. The pieces were all falling into place, the sort of research Sakura would be doing and this lab made it abundantly clear.

"Alternative treatments are a waste of time. You're trying to find a cure." Tsunade said, her tone firm. "The current treatment will remain effective for a few more months."

"Fine." Sakura said, mentally laying out a few of the less pleasant tasks ahead of her. "But before I do anything I'm going to need a new pair of eyes."

"I know." Tsunade said "I've already found a perfect donor. She's prepped and ready for the operation right now."

"Are they green?" Sakura asked, startled but anxious.

"Yes." Tsuande said, starting to walk off to the right presumably to that tunnel.

Sakura followed at a brisk pace, hand trailing along the hallway as Tsuande opened a door ahead. Finding the open door, Sakura entered then paused, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. The operating room was a very sterile environment, and Sakura was more than used to the smell so the scent of perfume stood out to her like a blade of grass would snow.

"Hello mom."

* * *

_Konoha, Hokages Office..._

:  
"Hard at work or hardly working?"

"Reading." Kakashi answered, not batting an eye at the unexpected arrival of Jiraiya. Kakashi had long since developed his ability suppress any sign of surprise, it made predicting his actions harder and infuriated some people. Looking up from his paperwork as the older man settled into the set across from him, Kakashi took in the other man's appearance.

Jiraiya looked as young as ever, but while the signs of his Poisoning were there. His neck was swollen and had several rose-colored spots, while black splotches peeked out from under his hand guards. It was also hard to miss the yellow tint the rest of his skin was taking on, the man couldn't have much longer.

"So what has you so interested?" Jiraiya asked curiously.

"Reports from our war against Oto." Kakashi answered, acknowledging the other man's unwillingness to discuss his situation. "We're pushing them back, so the tension is easing. However, there are a few things that strike me as worrying."

"Oh?"

"Well, on the surface it's nothing. This whole war will come down to reclaiming Edyoto, after that it'll be a mopping up and deciding if we want to simply restore the previous border or claim Ta no Kuni." Kakashi explained blandly, "So, it goes without saying that I'm expecting cannon, rapid kunai launchers, exploding arrows, Shi-nin, the personal wrist shields and every other dirty trick that Orochimaru has up his sleeves."

"Ah, and beneath on the surface?"

"The Shi-nin. Oto has been keeping them in the field ambushing randomly, which is what disturbs me. They are keeping their most dangerous weapons,the Initial Stage Shi-nin and Level 2 Shi-nin, in smaller groups and randomly attacking us."

"Hm, still no Stage 3?"

"Not yet." Kakashi said shrugging, "I think that's the whole purpose of the Shi-nin attacks. We know that the final stage is for Shi-nin to be capable of directly manipulating their chakra, so why not kill our men then take some away for experimentation?"

"That would make sense," Jiraiya mused, rubbing his chin, "Shi-nin so far have been villagers. If they're moving toward an Awakened Shi-nin, ninja would work best as our bodies are already used to manipulating chakra."

"Exactly." Kakashi said, before sighing "But there's nothing we can do other than take Edyoto before the Awakened Shi-nin reach the battle field."

"Have you considered that Orochimaru might be saving them for Edyoto?"

"I've considered it, but we'll reclaim Edyoto no matter what so it'd be best to keep us from reaching the city." Kakashi offered before he set the report down and leaned back, "So Jiraiya-sama, what brings you by?"

"I have an offer you might be interested in, Hokage-dono." Jiraiya answered "Orochimaru. Even as sick as I am, I could still find him and probably the only one in the village other than you that could be a match for him."

"It would be a suicide mission," Kakashi said, unsurprised with the Sannin's plan. He had expected something like this but still he was obligated to say certain things. "That's why I haven't sent any teams after him. We don't have many ninja available that can handle this S-Rank mission."

"Try none." Jiraiya said with a cocky grin, "Naruto is the closet you've got and with Akatsuki out there, he'd be a bad bet. I'd split the odds 50/50 in his favor, but even if he did manage to win he'd be so exhausted that Akatsuki could capture him without breaking much of a sweat."

"You think they'd be that aware of him?"

"He's the final key to their plan." Jiraiya said with a shrug, "It's a safe bet they're keeping tabs on him."

"I see."

"We both know I'm dying, and that I would have been dead by now. Tsunade has bought me extra time, but I'm just about done. So rather than waste away like some useless idiot, I want to go out on one last mission."

"Ah." Kakashi said, closing his eye. Tsunade had been playing it close to the vest, but he had suspected her new found interest in curing FCP involved Jiraiya. Kakashi also understood why exactly Jiraiya was leaving, if he did stay Tsunade would go into forbidden practices in an attempt to cure him. "What about Naruto and Tsunade?"

"Naruto is a ninja." Jiraiya said by way of explanation. "Tsunade might be upset, I hate going off to die on her, but the alternative is much worse. She'll ultimately accept this death, she might hate my guts, but she'll accept it.

"I see. Well, it's not like I'm denying you." Kakashi said after a moment slumping in his chair. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

"Very well, once you've made out a will and request for payment we'll-" Kakashi stopped as Jiraiya handed over a thick folder. Taking it the Hokage set it on his desk, idly studying the legendary ninja. "You've been preparing for your death."

"As for payment," Jiraiya said with a grin and a perverted gleam in his eye, "I want my birthday to be a mandatory 'Kunoichi Nudity Day'."

"I should have expected that." Kakashi said, eye curving up happily "Good luck Jiraiya-sama."

* * *

_Konoha, Civilian District..._

:

Hyūga Hinata was not the perfect Hyūga, she had long ago accepted that fact, but she had learned certain lessons well. The most important was that you hid anything that could give away your intent: that's why most adult Hyūga rarely smiled, grimaced, or anything else. That was why as Hinata strolled down the street, she smiled faintly despite the fact that each step sent a lance of pain through her, from hip to shoulder.

Training with her father had become harsher than ever, due in parts to his growing paranoia and her new assignment. Three weeks ago he had placed Hiatari (Neji's widow) and Yuubae (Neji's heir and new Main Branch Heir) into the protective custody of the Military Police. Tenten had, after consideration decided that it would be best for Hinata to be in charge of the assignment.

Hence why her paranoid father was beating the crap out of her on a regular basis now, determined to keep another assassination from happening. Not that there was any official word, but Hiashi had become insistent that was the truth. Hinata would not argue that point since she believed this to be the truth as well, as did many of her colleagues.

The shadowy group Unity was the cause, most were sure, though some scoffed at the idea. It depended largely one which way the person leaned politically, either they were toward the status quo or they were against it. Alarmingly, though Hinata could not prove it, those that were against the status quo seemed to be growing in number.

Mentally shaking her thought clear, she adjusted the folders she carried under arm and then subtly scanned her surroundings. Nobody out of the ordinary was in the area, but she would play it safe. Shifting directions, Hinata took the longer way to the safe house, keeping an eye out for anything that didn't fit.

Making a sharp turn she took a side-street that brought her to the front of an average looking apartment complex. Stepping inside, she walked up the stairs, then down a hallway past were it appeared to end thanks to a Genjutsu then to a stretch of wall where she knocked at a door hidden by yet another genjutsu. After a minute she knocked twice more in rapid succession, and the door opened just enough to let her enter.

Slipping inside, the door closing behind her, Hinata found a brown haired girl a year younger than her, standing in the entry way waiting for her. Drawing closer she nodded at the younger woman.

"Kurama-san, is something wrong?" Hinata asked, noting the oddly anxious look on her face

"Yes, Hyūga-sam-"

"I've told you to call me Hinata-san." Hinata interrupted wearily, heading for the kitchen with Amaya in tow. Kurama Amaya was from a minor clan that was traditionally rivals to the Yūhi Clan, and they seemed intent on proving their proper upbringing.

"Sorry, I forgot." Amaya said, as they entered the modest kitchen. "Hinata-san, it's good that your back. Hiatari-sama has been getting insistent that we allow them to leave."

"What?" Hinata asked, setting her folder on the kitchen table.

"She insists that this is all an over-reaction and that she wants to return to the Hyūga compound." Amaya explained, "She also attempted to use one of the men, Hyūga Asahi, as a courier for a message."

"Message?" Hinata asked, looking up, her interest truly piqued.

"He came to me and told me the whole situation," Amaya said, handing the letter over, "I read the letter and… you can trust my discretion."

Hinata paused, then with a tiny nod, turned her attention to the letter she now held. Part of her wanted to destroy the letter, but she had an obligation to not only her Clan but her job. "Who did she request that Asahi-san give this too?"

"Hyūga Kō."

Hinata nodded absently at that and then flipped the folded piece of paper over before breaking the wax seal opening it. With each passing word her unease grew, realizing what she was reading. It was a love letter, sort of: Basically it was attempting to arrange a secret tryst, which wasn't all that big a deal, it was almost expected for members of the Main Branch to indulge in the occasional affair with someone from the Branch Family.

The problem was that the letter read less as an occasional, spur of the moment situation, and more like a long standing affair. Hinata had to fight the urge to sit down, or to gape in shock, unconsciously mindful of appearances. After several more minutes, which she spent collecting her thoughts, Hinata closed the letter and placed it on the table.

Looking up, she met the expectant gaze of Amaya, waiting for her decision. "I'll talk with her about this soon. The next time she starts in on wanting to leave tell her that she's staying whether she wants to or not."

"Yes ma'am," Amaya said turning to leave.

"Kurama-san," Hinata called, stopping the other girl short, "if she keeps pestering you after that, tell her to come speak with me."

"Yes Hinata-sama." Kurama said before leaving quickly, and Hinata sighed at that address. Well at least it was an improvement.

* * *

_Hidden Akatsuki Base..._

:  
As hidden bases went, this one wasn't so bad, Kisame supposed, ascending the roughly hewn hallways leading away from the holding cells. The Yonbi had yet to say two words, but still effectively contained. How exactly the Leader had managed to create such an effective means of holding, Kisame couldn't even guess.

After all the holding cells looked no different than a normal jail cell, and they still some how managed to hold Jinchuriki without a problem.

Not that it mattered to Kisame, checking on the old man was just a means to keep from going stir-crazy. Kisame had never been one to sit still, he was geared toward being on the move, but orders after they finished the previous sealing were to stay put. So Kisame tried to distract himself from the 'itch' to go out and do something, anything, to keep occupied while waiting for the Leader to get there.

Besides, it was better than trying to talk to Itachi, the only other person in the Hidden Base. Itachi did not have a reputation for conversation, but that could have been overlooked out of respect, but there was another reason for avoiding the man. Though Kisame wouldn't admit it aloud, Itachi scared him at times with the way he would phrase things, leaving the former Kiri ninja no doubt that Itachi viewed the world as if it were not real.

Not like genjutsu 'not real', but as in 'this world doesn't matter because nothing is real' not real.

Rolling his shoulder absently to loosen the kink in it, the large man sighed entering the massive oval shaped chamber that served both as meeting and sealing area. Finding it empty he retrieved Samehada from its resting place, no point in carrying it around the whole base, besides with the extra couple of feet from the blade Kisame probably wouldn't have been able to move through some hallways.

Hefting the familiar weapon, he grinned just letting his arm and hand adjust to the weight. While Kisame didn't need to practice on a regular basis he still did whenever the chance presented itself. An expermential sweep to the side and then back, before flexing his hand absently.

He had been reviewing the basics more often lately, thanks mostly to his encounter with Konoha's Hitokiri. True he had been playing with her, just killing time while Itachi had his fun, but she had still scored a blow. He found it hard to believe at times, but he also took it as a sign that he needed to keep his skills sharp.

After all his fersome abilities which had earned him a spot as one of the Seven Swordsmen of Kiri, were the only thing he had. It proved his strength, and he would be damned if he let some little bitch destory it because he had gotten lazy. Shrugging his shoulders to free them of the cloak, he lifted the massive sword and settled into a balanced stance with both hands on the hilt.

Swords are designed with a very simple concept at their core, cutting the enemy. Weither it be a Katana which is designed to cut through body and armor without hesitation, the Dao designed to slice cleanly through the target, or the cruder weapons intended to hack and slash through obsticles with brute power. All swords were desgined with blades that could cut.

Samehada stood in stark contrast to that.

The blade had been desgined, forged and created with the purpose of ripping in mind. Oh it could smash and break bones, but any sword could do that. The real thought behind the blade's creation had been to 'rip' and 'tear'. Samehada would rip or tear the flesh from the body of its enemy, it would smash bones and gobble up chakra, relentlessly and without remorse.

Where other swords were made for killing, Samehada had been made for suffering. Kisame grinned viciously, sweeping his sword side to side, before flexing his wrist to mimic the movement of a sharks tail. His body moved forward with powerful lunges, a stab pulled back in sawing motion, he could feel Samehada thrumming with excitement.

"He's here."

Kisame resisted the urge to jump at the unexpected voice of Itachi; instead, he merely turned his head holding Samehada steady before him. Itachi took his normal spot without a sign of notcing Kisame's attention, which struck Kisame as curious since he had not felt the Gentōshin no Jutsu, usually he felt it first since his chakra made it easier for the wider range broadcast.

That was when Kisame noticed another curious sight, Kakuzu who with a curt nod took his own spot, followed by a blue haired girl and a final figure. It was the final figure that threw Kisame, they were about the same height as Itachi with medium length spiky hair, seven piercings and a metal bar through each ear, three studs through the side of his upper nose and one spike stud on each end of his bottom lip.

It was the large, beaded necklace that gave away the man's identity.

"So we finally meet in person." Kisame said, lifting his sword to rest it across his shoulders. "I guess there's something big you want to talk about huh?"

"Indeed, there are things that require our attention." Pain said, meeting each of their gazes steadily with those odd eyes of his, "First, there has been further changes within our ranks. Hidan has finally died."

"What'd that fool do?" Kakuzu asked sourly.

"He was your partner, you should show some regret."

"A fool is a fool," Kakuzu said, dismissively waving a hand at Pain's comment, "espcially fools that put their faith in gods."

Kisame winced as Konan slipped a foot toward the other man. This would not be good, it was no secert among them that Konan was a fanatic about her god. Hand tightening around the hilt of Samehada, Kisame prepared for the fallout from this fight.

"Faith in money is even more foolish." Pain said, diffusing the situation through sheer blandness. "Money has no value other than what someone else deems it to have. I have no need of money, hence it is valuless to me. Now, as I was saying, Hidan died during his attempt at capturing the Nibi Host."

"Huh, damn, this means you're going to be using more of my chakra for the sealing's now aren't you?" Kisame asked, aiding the attempt at avoiding a fight.

"Eventually, though first we must capture the Sanbi and Nibi."

"I still don't understand why we can't just seal the Yonbi." Kisame muttered, would serve the old bastard right for the crap he went through. Kakuzu had gotten to seal the Ichibi immediately after he brought it back to a base. Huffing he set Samehada, who thrummed in agreement with Kisame, down and began to rewarp the massive blade with the special gauze.

"Its about balance. We sealed Life and Order first, then Wind and Earth. Water and Death are next. Fire is after that, leaving Lightning and Chaos."

"But why that order? What is special about the pattern?" Kakuzu asked, sounding more interested than normal.

"Considering that the Bijuu **are** demons," Itachi said in a flat tone, "there obviously has to be a somewhat mystical formula that must be followed."

"Indeed," Pain agreed before shifting focus away from the biju and toward more 'mortal' focus, "but there is more things to deal with than demons. Tobi and Zetsu have decided to turn against us."

"Say wha?" Kisame asked, looking up in surpise. Zetsu had been part of this group for a long time, he actually had senority over Kisame and as for Tobi, that nut had been begging to join the group for years. So why would they betray them now?

"Tobi has entered an alliance with Orochimaru, though the details are unimportant. Zetsu has also been leaving out details in his reports, which jepordize our attempts."

"What do we do?" Kakuzu asked.

"Orginize and handle the problem. Itachi-san, I would like you to handle Zetsu and Tobi, be mindful that there is more to Tobi than appears. Meanwhile Kakuzu-san, Kisame-san, I'm forming you into a team to capture the Sanbi Host."

"What, so we know where he is?" Kakuzu asked, startled as was Kisame.

This would be his first time partnered with someone other than Itachi in nearly a decade, his previous partners had been Zetsu followed by Sasori and then Deidara. Eyeing the new partner subtly, Kisame wondered how he and the former Taki ninja would function together, well as long as they didn't get in each others way things should be fine.

"Yes," Pain said, gesturing at the woman beside him, "Konan has been acting as my scout once I discovered Zetsu's duplicity."

"So where is the little brat?" Kisame asked, hefting his sword ready to get this show on the road.

"Umi no Kuni, Jiro Island." Konan answered without blinking an eye, before glancing at Itachi. "Zetsu is currently in Cha no Kuni and Tobi is currently within Hi no Kuni, Region Five."

"Hn, I'll take care of Zetsu first."

"So that's it?" Kisame asked, glancing from woman to man and then to Kakuzu before looking back. "We should have a new Biju to seal soon enough."

"Do not speak lightly, not until we have gathered to seal this beast."

"Yeah, yeah, I took the Yonbi solo. This is going to be a cinch."

* * *

_Region Two, Field MASH Tent..._  
:

:  
Katsuragi Ami was an orphan, though it seemed resonable to assume that her parents had been ninja. That was why once she was old enough she had adopted the family name Katsuragi, because in Konoha few ninja lacked a family name. In relation to her unknown family name, Ami had taken on the modest career of the average kunoichi: seduction of nobility, posing as a geisha for assassination, and gathering intellegence as a farmers wife or a maid.

Ami had not been happy with such a career, as a child she had desired a more prominant role, like Tsuande. Still she had adjusted to her lot in life, though the sexual demands her career took had required some getting used to, and eventually came to appreciate her role. There was no 'glory' in her work, but then again while kunoichi like Ino, Tenten or Hinata would be targeted Ami could live her life and someday retire in modest luxury.

She had tried to pass along this philopshy to her Genin, often repeating the phrase 'The nail that sticks its head up is the one that gets hit'. Choko and Chen had instantly taken the lesson to heart without effort, they kept their heads down and did only what they needed too. Konohamaru on the other hand rejected her lesson completely and was determined to make everyone aware of his name.

Konohamaru as a child had been a little vainglorious, but it had only gotten worse since his meeting with Naruto. Ami sometimes wanted to berate the infamous Naruto, but instead she kept her peace allowing Choko and Chen try to beat sense into Konohamaru.

Of course, considering that they were in a Field MASH tent so Konohamaru could get treated by a medical ninja, it seemed to have failed.

The Tokubetsu Jōnin stared emotionlessly at the recouperating ninja, flanked by her other Genin, lips pressed into a thin line. He deserved this for his reckless actions, she had no pity for him because he had insisted on facing an Oto Jōnin. Despite Chen giving him repeated opprotunites to retreat, the Naruto-wannabe just **_had_** to be the hero.

Konohamaru would get praised by a great many people for his 'Will of Fire', but not from Ami. Konohamaru should have run like every other Genin would have, not risk his life over a stupid urge to be a hero. This was the final straw, she would solve this problem permenantly.

"Sensei." Choko said softly, warning her and Ami slipped effortlessly into her 'concerned' role for the encroaching field doctor.

"Katsuragi-san." The man said, stepping into view on he right.

"How is he?" Ami asked, eye flickering from his face to the slumbering form of Konohamaru.

"Fine, he had a few cracked ribs, a damaged orbital bone and a mild concussion. We repaired the damage easily enough, though he should take it easy for a while."

"Thank you," Ami said with a slight bow, relaxing her posture as would be expected. Once the doctor had left she spoke to Choko and Chen, careful to keep her tone soft "We're being transfered to Nami no Kuni. We'll stop at an outpost to resupply first and then once we get in coutnry, we'll solve this problem."

"Sensei?"

"You heard me." Ami said, eyes narrowing at the unconcious Konohamaru "Soon as we get into combat, no matter what, we don't help the 'Hero'."

"Yes sensei." Both echoed without a hint of hesitation.

* * *

AN:

I know in one of the scenes (and in a previous chapter) I've equated the S in S-Rank to mean suicidal. So just for the curious, below are the lists of the ratings: one for Mission Ratings and one for Ninja Rating (or Ninja Threat Level)

Mission Ratings:  
S-Rank: Suicidal  
A-Rank: Abominable  
B-Rank: Baleful  
C-Rank: Caution  
D-Rank: Demeaning  
E-Rank: Easy

Ninja Rating (Ninja Threat Level)  
S-Rank: Suicidal  
A-Rank: Alarming  
B-Rank: Beware  
C-Rank: Careful  
D-Rank: Dreadful


	33. Chapter 31: Portents

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 31  
_-Portents-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

_Nami no Kuni, Region 1, Forward Konoha Military Command Center..._  
:

:

Sarutobi Asuma shifted uncomfortably in his chair, an uncomfortable wooden monstrosity, staring at the stacks of paper located strategically across his battered desk. Sighing the Jōnin shook out a cigarette from his pack and lit it up, taking a satisfyingly long drag, before blowing a smoke ring. Edge taken off, at least for the moment, he pulled the smallest stack of papers toward him, noting the familiar handwriting of Shikamaru.

Flipping through the stack, he smirked before pushing the stack into place. Leaning back, Asuma released several more smoke rings, many shooting through the center of a previous one. It wasn't much, but at least he didn't have to deal with the status reports from the regional commanders.

Savoring the taste of his cigarette, he leaned forward and selected the only folder present. Flipping it open, he shifted his body yet again making a mental note to get another chair; at least he knew why the Hokage had such a comfortable one now. Skimming the tiny lines idly, he flicked his cigarette against the ashtray, beginning to frown.

If this was an accurate summation of their intelligence, then there was a major military push coming in the next week or two. No concrete information on the targets, but Asuma knew there were only two key cities that were the most likely: Tokorozawa or Matsudo. Normally you avoided assaulting a city, you used up your resources faster, which was why Hi no Kuni had been locating their forces in ones that the enemy couldn't risk simply by-passing.

Of course that was only accounting for the samurai, Kaminari and Hi had equal numbers; Kumo outnumbered Konoha. Admittedly numbers were not always a deciding factor, but in this case they would be. Kumo had 246 ninja deployed to their controlled Regions, while Konoha had a mere 103 and the majority of those were ninja that had grown up during peace time.

The most seasoned ninja were located in Region 6 and Region 10.

Taking another drag on his cigarette, Asuma debated about which of the targets the enemy would select. If he braced the wrong one then it would come back to bite them on the ass, but that was what they got for scrambling to get forces into the area. The city of Matsudo in Zone 6 was the most desirable, as that Region bordered two larger Kumo controlled regions.

If they took Region 6, Kumo could easily annex Zones 7, 8, 9 and 10 and the situation would be even worse than it was now. On the other hand, they might go after Tokorozawa in Zone 10. It would require smaller forces, which would facilitate a quick advance, which in turn could allow them to capture Zones 9 through 7. After that they could swallow Zone 6 with a two prong offensive, while effectively keeping reinforcements from arriving or a retreat from the haggard Konoha/Hi no Kuni contingent.

Asuma supposed he could move the combined forces from Zones 7 through 9 to reinforce Zone 10, as well as the forces from Zone 5 to Zone 6, but he couldn't overlook the possibility of a sea-borne invasion from the Kumo controlled Region 17 on Region 5. That would result in the same outcome as taking either Zone 6 or Zone 10, isolated forces that would be devoured. The risk was too large to reinforce both Zones, he would have to pick one and pray that he was correct.

Zone 10 would be the most likely target, it granted an easily obtained access point to the enemy and the supply lines could be established quickly and maintained with minimum effort. He would place Zone 6 on high alert and when reinforcements arrived they would be funneled to them immediately. Sighing heavily, he stood and snuffed his cigarette out, heading out the door to send the orders to reinforce Zone 10 while wondering how his dad had managed to cope with making this sort of decision.

* * *

_Region 15, City of Karuimoto..._

:

:  
Azai Chokei let out a deep breath, settling into his seat behind his desk. Pausing he glanced at his Lieutenant and brother-in-law Enjoji Jonouchi, who nodding in understanding stepped out of the room. A moment later he returned trailed by three other ninja, who took a seat without prompting.

Chokei studied each of them, they were the leaders of the three highest ranked teams he had. Jinkourai Kyōza had taken the seat furthest away from the door, while Samui took the middle and Jei took the one on her right. It was almost amusing to see these three mindful of status even now when it didn't really matter. As Heir to the Jinkourai Clan, Kyōza should have been seated in the middle, but Samui was one of only three ninja to ever be trained by Kirābī, while Jei was a cousin to the new Raikage.

After a beat as all of the ninja present settled in, Chokei leaned forward, lacing fingers together. "So who wants to go first?"

"I will." Jei offered, pushing his sunglasses back into place. "Upon arrival, the first Konoha team accepted the illusion of a functioning prisoner camp, and summoned reinforcements. After this, the leader Rock Lee split off from his team scouting the surrounding area and it was decided that my team would pursue and initate a confrontation, leaving Team Samui and Team Kyōza to engage the secondary forces when they arrived."

"I see," Chokei said, motioning for the man to continue.

"Shī noted almost immediately that our target was not actively using chakra and yet was travelling at a speed that we were struggling to match. After further observation, Sadamitsu was the first to engage the enemy in a brief Taijutsu exchange." Here Jei paused, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "He was quickly overwhelmed, and Darui soon joined the fight."

"I…see." Chokei said, raising an eyebrow, wondering how they both had ended up in the medical care of Shī. Apparently his unasked question was obvious to Jei who slid his sunglasses down his nose so they could lock eyes.

"The target, using pure Taijutsu and a level of speed I've never seen before, decimated them both. Darui's 'Ranton: Reizā Sākasu' and 'Ranton: Rankiryū' were useless against this Rock Lee. Sadamitu's most powerful Genjutsu was bulldozed through, and it was only due to Shī using his 'Raigen Raikōchū' that we were able to extract them."

"That's impossible," Jonouchi said, voicing the opinion that Chokei silently held, "nobody could move so fast that Darui's 'Ranton' techniques were useless."

"The Yondaime Hokage could." Samui offered blandly, glancing at the man, "Though I doubt he would reappear as a teenager, wearing green spandex and a bowl cut, he does set a precedent for such speed."

"The most frightening fact though," Jei said, pushing his sunglasses back into place, "was the fact that Shī swears Rock Lee went from no chakra usage to almost Kage levels in a matter of seconds. I know of only one technique that could allow for that."

"Hmm, yes, if he has mastered the Gates then it would fit." Chokei said, feeling a chill at such a consideration. The only known master of the Hachimon was one Maito Gai, but apparently there was another one and much younger. Then after another minute of reflection his chill became dread as the Regional Commander remembered that Maito Gai had trained an apprentice named Rock Lee.

"So Rock Lee is an A-Level Threat, borderline S-Level." Jonouchi said as he scribbled the pertinent information down in his notepad.

"Samui-san, Kyōza-san?" Chokei said, turning his attention toward the two. There was a second of hesitation before Samui started, which alerted to Chokei that Kyōza would have the most upsetting report.

"After Team Jei left in pursuit of their target, we observed the remainder of Team Lee. They were an annoyance, each a D-Level Threat, and later we observed the secondary team when they arrived." Samui paused, before shrugging, "Our efforts at remaining undetected were redoubled several times and it wasn't until Team Kyōza engaged the enemy that we could move in for a more detailed study."

"Ah, and what did you discover?"

"According to Karui, who observed Yamanaka-san, from the way she wielded Raijin-ken she is definitely a sword master. She is also capable of utilizing the rare ability of one handed seals having unleashed both a 'Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu' and later a 'Fūton: Daitoppa'."

"Impressive."

"When Maso-san attempted to withdraw, she killed him and later acted as a medic." Samui said, glancing at Kyōza, before continuing, "As for Besshu-san, according to Omoi he is actually an Aburame, an especially skilled one. He faced Jinkourai Keiji on an even footing, after Keiji had severely wounded a young Hyūga and then killed a member of Team Lee-"

"Hold on," Jonouchi interrupted, and at her curious look continued. "This Hyūga was she about eleven and dressed unusually for a Hyūga?"

"Yes."

"According to our previous intelligence that was Hanabi, the apprentice to Uzumaki-sama." Jonouchi said with a sigh. "We've estimated her as a C-Level Threat."

"That would be accurate," Samui said, before shifting her gaze back to Chokei, "as I was saying, Keiji-san engaged the disguised Aburame in a battle. It was remarkably even, with the Aburame eventually claiming victory. His techniques were beyond anything previously seen from a member of his clan."

"Noted." Chokei said, eyes darting to Kyōza who was staring at nothing particular. The Regional Commander was far more interested in what the man was going to say, from the way Samui was acting this was a prearranged report between them. Kyōza seemed to register Chokei's attention and returned it, prompting the Regional Commander to turn back to Samui "So, ratings?"

"Combining what we know now, with our previous intelligence, Yamanaka-san is a low A-Level Threat. This Besshu-san however, we have no previous intelligence on him, but judging from his displayed abilities I would say he too is a low A-Level Threat."

"That's three A-Level Threats." Jonouchi said with a whistle, scribbling in his notepad.

"Yes," Chokei said, settling his gaze firmly on Kyōza who returned it "now as for the last one, if you would be so kind?"

"I fought Uzumaki Naruto. He displayed the notable techniques we are all aware of, though he seemed to have little patience." The man shrugged "S-Level Threat."

Chokei stared in muted shock, even as Jonouchi sputtered in disbelief. Admittedly, Kumo had been aware of the boy's strength and potential, but they had not expected him to be- Chokei sat back in his chair to stare at the man calculatingly, before glancing at the other two ninja; Jei looked equally surprised as well as disbelieving, while Samui remained expressionless.

So that was why she kept glancing at him, she had known what he was going to say.

"Samui-san, you observed his battle, is this accurate?" Jonouchi asked his voice thin from shock.

"I observed the battle, Uzumaki did indeed display the techniques our previous intelligence has made us aware of," Samui answered, "and he did seem less patient than would be expected. There is no question of his status as a high A-Level Threat, but Kyōza-san has previously presented sound arguments to warrant the higher rating."

"Which were what exactly?" Chokei asked; eyes narrowing as he pinned the passive looking Kyōza under his gaze. "If we are going to officially issue that level of threat rating, you need to present evidence."

"Very well," Kyōza said, sitting up straight "First, he rapidly and repeatedly used the Advanced Shunshin. His physical strength more than tripled at odd moments and his chakra spiked the more frustrated he got. He also used the Rasengan, even at one point having one in each hand, on numerous occasions. As much as I was observing him, he was observing me, when added together I believe that means he was restraining his full abilities."

"Is there more?"

"Yes. Once he became aware of the status of his student, Uzumaki unleashed a devastating rain of wind ninjutsu and eventually he caught me in an excellent trap, delivering several punishing blows before sending me crashing into a building. He arrived a moment later and unleashed a Fūton technique I have never heard of that literally caused the building to explode. I only managed to survive by using the Henjiru Rai, and escaped by leaving behind a Rai Bunshin."

"I checked the debris of the building later," Samui said, looking uncomfortable "it didn't actually explode. From what I saw, his Fūton technique spiraled outward and sliced the building into numerous miniscule splinters. I believe it could be based off the 'Kaze no Yaiba', but this is an omni-directional ninjutsu."

"It's a unique technique," Kyōza added, "as it radiated outward from his body in one blast."

"I can understand your reasoning." Chokei managed, stunned, honestly what else could he say? That technique was something nobody that he knew of had encountered before. Plus, to land a blow against a member of the Jinkourai Clan required a great deal of skill; but what made Naruto's fight against Kyōza more impressive than the Aburame's fight against Keiji was the reportedly sheer domination once a blow had landed.

To force Kyōza, the Clan Heir, into the usage of an extreme Kinjutsu Clan technique just to survive, spoke volumes.

"Plus, according to a private contact within Iwa, who has been researching Uzumaki greatly, he's killed one S-Rank missing ninja while simultaneously driving another S-Rank missing ninja, Uchiha Itachi, into retreat. Nor can we overlook that fact that as a mere Genin he managed to hold the ground against another S-Rank missing ninja, our current ally the self-styled Otokage Orochimaru, and as a Chūnin defeated one of our Jinchūriki Nii Yugito."

"Valid points," Jonouchi said after a moment of stunned silence. Hand shaking he scribbled something on his notepad, "Uzumaki, S-Level Threat."

* * *

_Region 6, Military Base Fuuyou, Medical Wing..._

:

Hanabi woke up to a painful thumping in her head, reminiscent of having numerous encyclopedia dropped on her head. Which was a wonderful fucking way to wake up, she thought darkly through the headache before registering the warmth focused on her abdomen. Forcing her eyes open, she decided that it had to be a medical ninjutsu of some kind.

For a moment, the world was nothing but blurred forms, and Hanabi had to blink several times before it came into focus. Her current doctor, a purple haired woman bathed in a faint-green glow, noticed her attention before letting the glow fade. The woman's face didn't react to the sudden change in her patient instead she calmly picked up a nearby chart making a note.

"You woke up sooner than we expected," the doctor said, before looking at her, "Yamanaka-san said it might be a week before you came out of it."

"I've got the headache from hell." Hanabi managed thickly, wishing she could just go back to sleep.

"You do know that most people would prefer, 'having the headache from hell' over being dead." The doctor said, making another note on the chart

"Huh?"

"You're injuries were life threatening," the doctor explained, "even more so due to the untreated wounds that you had. Uzumaki-sama was livid when he realized that you had been intentionally lying to him about such injuries."

Hanabi shifted to sit up, ignoring her bodies protest, trying to piece things together. Her last memory was that of moving to take the prisoner camp, after that everything was a blank; obviously she had been injured bad enough to end up in a hospital, but she couldn't be all the way back in Konoha. That would make no sense. "Where am I?"

"The medical ward of Fuuyou," the doctor answered making another notation. "I'm Otoha, Chief Nurse."

"She's awake?" a new voice added and Hanabi glanced at the average looking man dressed as a typical Jōnin that was walking past rows of empty beds. Seeing her attention, he smiled inclining his head slightly, "Nice to see you awake. I'm the Region 6 Commander, Sarugaku Tsuzumi."

"Sarugaku-san." Hanabi managed, uncaring if he took offense at her choice of 'san' over 'sama'. She had long since decided that the only people that she would address with that were the ones that had earned her respect. Tsuzumi did not seem to take offense; instead he sat down on the foot of the empty bed next to her.

"I take it Otoha-san here, was just telling you how lucky you were," he said, grinning at Hanabi before glancing at the chief nurse who snorted without looking at him. Sensing her lack of approval, he turned his attention back to Hanabi, "So, how are you feeling?"

"…I feel perfectly fine, if you wish, I could perform a dance." Hanabi answered dryly her face perfectly neutral.

"Ah, right," Tsuzumi said, chuckling at his obviously stupid question. Clearing his throat, he turned his attention toward Otoha once more, "So?"

"You're healing steadily." Otoha said, focusing on Hanabi and ignoring the man "That will last for at least the next week or two, if your luck holds out, but it also requires that you do nothing strenuous or chakra intensive."

"No techniques." Hanabi said, tiredly.

"Of **any** kind." Otoha confirmed, before looking at Tsuzumi, "As for what _you_ want to know, by the time she's released she'll have spent at least a week lying in bed. Uzumaki-san will need to get her physical body back into shape, which will take another week."

"I see."

"But officially, once she's released, it'll be up to Kanpou-san," Otoha added, her tone clipped, before putting the clipboard up and leaving the two sitting there.

"Medics," Tsuzumi muttered, before turning back to her, his face turning serious, "As for you. I've spoken with both your sensei and Rock-san, it's been decided that it would be best that once you are back on duty, we'll reassign all Genin to patrol duty."

"Ah." Hanabi managed, staring at him blankly, "Who is going to lead our team?"

"After some serious discussion, it's been agreed that you will be placed in charge," Tsuzumi said. "We'll also be supplementing your team with a medical ninja, Hata Yuu."

"So it will be a five-person team?"

"No." Tsuzumi said, closing his eyes, before easing his way onto his feet. "Mirua-san was lost in the conflict against Kumo, which is part of the reason why you've been selected as the team leader. You are a familiar face for Yūhi-san and Matsudaira-san, which they'll need as a stabilizing force."

"Anjin's dead?" Hanabi asked feeling oddly detached from the news. It was not that she wasn't sorry that he had died, or sympathized with Kojiro or Teru. It was just personally, Hanabi couldn't seem to feel any deep emotion toward the loss.

"Yes." Tsuzumi said, tone firm but kind, "As for your new assignment, your team will make regular patrols in the surrounding area. I'll explain the exact details later when its time, you have a lot to deal with and I really just wanted to stop by and check up on you."

"Ok." Hanabi said, setting aside her blossoming confusion over her apathetic reaction to the news of Anjin. "Is Naruto-sensei around?"

"No, I sent them back into the field. They waited to make sure you were ok, but the war wasn't going to wait." The man said, then giving her a faint nod, left, and Hanabi turned her attention to her hands cradled in her lap.

Flexing her hands into fists, she breathed out slowly, relaxing them. There was a lot to deal with now, but the biggest thing was her current emotional detachment. She should be freaked out, or upset, after such a close brush with death but instead she felt nothing. Of course, she had cheated death before, so the situation wasn't totally alien to her.

However, the biggest change was that this time, she felt…_nothing_. No relief, no tension, no fear; nothing but a sort of detached acceptance. Uncurling her hands completely, she studied her fingers absently, turned her hands over staring at the back of them and then turned them back over.

"I'm a ninja." Hanabi whispered, twitching her fingers, "and death rides piggy back."

Hanabi couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her, for the first time appreciating the dark humor of her older brother. This had to be what Naruto experienced all the time and why he could so easily throw himself into battle with such complete abandon. Even Hanabi with her own acceptance of eventually giving her life for Naruto she had never completely given herself over to such abandon, out of a subconscious fear for her own life.

Now though, it simply didn't matter, because she understood something. The saying so prevalent in the ninja world, 'That a real ninja has survived numerous brushes with death' wasn't true. A ninja lived, ate, and slept with death as a _constant_ companion. Death was in no way a factor, a ninja had simply stopped caring.

Lying back in her bed, staring at the ceiling, Hanabi breathed easily. So that was why she wasn't bothered by death and she found it oddly liberating.

Closing her eyes, Uzumaki Hanabi smiled contentedly, secure in her new found knowledge.

* * *

_Tsuchi no Kuni, Iwakgure, Tsuchikage Office..._  
:

:

"Report."

"Our scouts in Kusa no Kuni all report the same thing, Miyako and the surrounding area have been wiped out."

"It was _destroyed_?"

"No sir," the Iwa ANBU Commander said, sounding uncertain, "not destroyed. It was leveled to the ground, if it wasn't for the massive crater, you'd be hard pressed to tell anything had been there."

"How massive, exactly?" The Tsuchikage asked, sitting forward, stunned.

"The Kusa capital Miyako was roughly 30 miles in Diameter. The crater's diameter is 52 miles with a depth of roughly 10 miles."

"Do we have any clue what could have caused that?" the Tsuchikage asked slowly as he fought to hide his terror.

"None." The ANBU Commander said, shaking his head, "I'm unfamiliar with _any_ ninjutsu or weapon capable of producing such a crater. I suppose it might be possible for a Bijū to unleash that level of destruction, but it would have to be the Hachibi or the Kyūbi. With the Kyūbi killed and the Hachibi involved in the war against Konoha, I can't even hazard a guess."

"Are you telling me," The Tsuchikage said slowly, his tone ominous, "that we have a mysterious weapon of unfathomable destructive power out there and we don't **know** who or what unleashed it?"

"Exactly sir."

"I see." The Tsuchikage said, linking his fingers together a shiver crawling up his spine. The Tsuchikage needed to say something, but he simply could not come up with anything. All he knew was that none of this boded well for him or his plans, if they still had their Jinchūriki they could handle this, but they had lost both, one to a mysterious attack and Roushi fleeing. Clicking his tongue against the back of his teeth, his gaze drifted toward the corner of the room. As if the Son of the Scourge was not bad enough, they now had these two to contend with as well. "Anything else?"

"We have some information on Han and his disappearance." The ANBU Commander said.

"Really?"

"Yes, we've been piecing together what we can and my contact in Kumo told me what he knew. It appears to be the work of a small group responsible for numerous attacks on other Hidden Villages. The only common theme seems to be a black cloak with red clouds, and teams of two."

"Do we have a name?"

"'Akatsuki'."

"Akatsuki, so they have a name." The Tsuchikage mused before addressing the ANBU Commander, "Use the resources we don't have tied up in Kaze no Kuni, or in hunting down the dissenters in Yama no Kuni, toward locating that group and their base."

"As you command."

* * *

_Oto no Kuni, Twenty-five miles Southwest of Otogakure… _

:

:  
Anko took things in stride; it had been one of the traits that had kept her alive during her apprenticeship to Orochimaru and later. Letting your surprise, hesitation or discomfort show would result in it being used against you. So Anko took things in stride, never batting an eye no matter what was asked of her, under her sensei Orochimaru she had done many questionable things, some she had enjoyed and others she had hated.

But never once had Anko let her true thoughts or feelings become known: She had killed her team mates with the same willingness as seducing a handsome noble. That's why she hadn't even batted an eye when Orochimaru had ordered her to kill the Konoha scouting team. Internally was another matter, because while she held no particular love for Konoha any longer, there was still a dredge of loyalty. Maybe the loyalty belonged to Kakashi, or Naruto, but all she knew was how hard it made issuing orders to the other members of the new Sound Four.

Even with the knowledge that this was an acid test, that Orochimaru was checking her loyalty, she found the orders to spring the ambush almost sickening.

Even as Guren and the other two launched into the attack, Anko hung back both to observe and to deal with her nausea. Part of her was screaming that this was in no way right, she shouldn't be doing this, and Anko had to forcibly stomp that part down. Apparently the part of her that had spent most of her life loyal to Konoha was not about to go away anytime soon.

Anko wasn't surprised of course, she expected to feel something but the feelings were growing instead of lessening. A traitorous thought snaked its way to the forefront to of her mind, what if Orochimaru had lied to her about putting her to sleep. What if he was suppressing her true self for his own purposes?

Anko quickly and vehemently destroyed that thought, Orochimaru would never do that to her. He had been telling the truth and such thoughts were simply a by-product of living a lie for fourteen years. Determined to prove that true, she focused on the battle and registering one of the Konoha ninja escaping, she set out after them.

Ebisu moved with greater skill than she remembered, his speed also seemed to have increased since the last time they met.

Darting between the trees barely disturbing the thin layer of snow on the ground, Anko felt a shiver run up her spine. The cold air meant nothing to her mentally, but there were certain bodily reactions you couldn't control. Adrenaline enhanced senses, alerting her to a trap and she jumped, using a branch to leverage her body into a handstand.

Flipping from the momentum, her feet touched the branch briefly and then using it as a springboard, continued pursuit through the trees.

"Amateurs." Anko muttered, catching the faint sound of battle encroaching from behind and sped up. After this battle was over she'd have to do something about her team, some sort of team bonding exercise. Coming to an abrupt halt, Anko just barely managed to avoid blundering into the waiting arms of Ebisu who stood expectantly in the tiny clearing just ahead.

"I know I didn't lose you," he said, adjusting his sunglasses "you seem far more talented than the others."

Anko almost chuckled; the psychology he was trying to use was perfect. Sadly, Anko was too well trained to fall for such tricks. Hands coming up, she formed a hand seal and the clearing filled with the impenetrably thick fog of a 'Kirigakure no Jutsu'. Pulling both hands to her sides, she unleashed two punches, sending twin Sen'eijashu from either hand into the clearing.

Eyes closing Anko concentrated on the senses of the snakes, guiding them through the fog.

Ebisu managed to dodge the first, deflected the next and landing in a crouch formed a tora seal...Anko snapped her eyes open and abandoned her perch just as he unleashed a 'Futon: Daitoppa', which cleared the fog as well as destroyed her snakes and the trees. Hitting the ground, Anko darted left, kunai finding its way to her hand before stopping short as several shuriken passed before her.

Pivoting she deflected another and found herself facing Ebisu. The Konoha ninja froze, eyebrows visible arching over his sunglasses, and Anko smirked adopting the cocky posture she'd used for years.

"Y-you're dead."

"Yeah, about that," Anko drawled, "reports of my death have been amusingly exaggerated."

"You betrayed the village." Ebisu said neutrally, his shock passing.

"I would have thought you would see it coming." Anko said, beginning to tic facts off with her free hand. "Cursed Seal, fanatically loyal to Orochimaru as a soldier and his lover. I helped develop the Hebi Style, killed anyone that got in his way and kept his various forbidden experiments secret for at least a decade."

"I'm not surprised," Ebisu said a bit too forcefully for it to be true, his weight shifting "I don't think anyone in Konoha would be."

"You're forgetting my student." Anko pointed out with a pleasantness she didn't quite feel. Remembering Naruto was making her nausea worse, but she forced her way through it. "I'm pretty sure _he'd_ be surprised."

"Then I do this for his sake. So he doesn't have to learn about what you've done and how you've betrayed him." No sooner had Ebisu finished saying that than his hand blurred forward, forcing Anko to dodge as kunai with exploding notes hit her previous location.

Skidding to a halt, Anko whipped around throwing her own kunai before dodging as several medium sized fireballs came hurtling at her. Clear of the flames she countered with several shuriken that burst into flames as they hurtled toward Ebisu. The distraction in place, she circled to the left as he dodged, catching him with a lance made of rock.

Or at least, she caught his Kage Bunshin with the rock lance.

Eyes widening, Anko began moving with a zigzagging pattern away, before registering a spike of chakra from over head. Looking up, Anko found three massive fireballs hurtling toward her location and with a burst of speed she hurled her body clear of attack. Landing with a slide, hand trailing along the ground, Anko came to a halt as the fireballs swirled into a towering pillar of fire before dissipating into nothing.

Panting from the near call with the Katon: Hōenka, Anko began scanning her surroundings for her enemy. Registering movement in her peripheral vision, Anko evaded as two Kage Bunshin hurtled toward her. Her hands became a blur of motion as she blocked and redirected their punches and kicks, until an opening presented itself and she could counter.

Sidestepping a Kage Bunshin, she planted a kick to the back of its knee sending it tumbling forward. Spinning, Anko caught the second Kage Bunshin in mid-jump with a sidekick to the chest. Letting the momentum carry her, she came around in time to catch the hand of the a first Kage Bunshin as it drove a kunai toward her: pivoting she used its own momentum to throw it clear.

A back flip over a leg sweep gave the chance she needed, hand shooting forward she unleashed a torrent of snakes from her wrist. Wrapping around the neck, arms and legs of the Kage Bunshin, Anko pivoted on her heel, using her body to swing the bound Kage Bunshin around into the other one. On impact she recalled the snakes and jumped clear as she rained exploding kunai upon the two prone Kage Bunshin.

Smirking Anko brought her fingers up and upon touching down, she had a dozen Kage Bunshin scattering into the surrounding area. With them buying her time, Anko bit her forefinger and flashed through several seals before touching the ground. A moment later several black lines of inky ink spread outward from her hand, and a snake emerged slithering its way up her leg and body as she rose.

Swaying absently, Anko lifted her right arm as the snake coiled its way past her breast and to her shoulder. Arm parallel to the ground, the snake slithered along her taut muscles before reaching her hand, where its mouth opened. Feeling the unfamiliar weight of a sword falling into her hand, Anko smirked as she brought her arm high and the snake took flight of its own accord.

Lowering her arm, the snake mistress studied the weapon she now possessed: Ryūken was a straight edged sword, made up of a large spade-shaped blade with an O shaped hand-guard and a wrapped hilt ending with a orange tassel. More important to her than its design was that her Sensei had given it to her as a present for returning to his side.

Anko shifted her attention from her weapon and toward the trees, registering several of her Kage Bunshin disappearing. A moment later Ebisu came back into view, battered, trailing blood and missing his sunglasses. Hitting the ground, he managed to somersault back to his feet as several of Anko's Kage Bunshin came charging after him.

The first one to reach him received a sidekick to the stomach, followed by a palm heel to the face that sent it crashing backwards into two other charging Kage Bunshin. Jumping, Ebisu connected with a round kick to the neck of a Kage Bunshin sending it flying forward before it disappeared with a cloud of smoke. Landing he managed to twist his body, avoiding a punch aimed for his face; grabbing the wrist he brought his other arm up smashing his forearm against the elbow, snapping it.

Stumbling as the Kage Bunshin disappeared; Ebisu reacted a half-second too late as another Kage Bunshin attacked. He reeled back under the rain of blows, seemingly defenseless, until he managed to deflect an incoming elbow and counter by jamming a kunai into its neck. As it toppled to the side, before disappearing in a puff of smoke, Ebisu struggled to remain upright and breathe.

"You know for a half blind, pervereted, glorified babysitter your not half bad." Anko said, smirking at the wounded ninja. "So, you want it slow or quick?"

Rather than answering, Ebisu began forming seals and Anko reacted instinctively. One of her few remaining Kage Bunshin rushed forward and grabbing his hands in mid-seal, spun tossing him into the air. Jumping Anko flung her Ryūken at the stationary Kage Bunshin below, wounding the enemy, before planting a front kick to his face sending him flipping back down.

The Kage Bunshin met him halfway, Ryūken a blur as it sliced into his body repeatedly, then almost to the ground it used his body to push off while throwing the sword to Anko. Ebisu finished his descent in an almost horizontal path, ending only when Anko brandished Ryūken and impaled his him. Grunting as she skidded back from the impact, she wrenched her arm aside, the blade cutting through muscle and sinew before Ebisu hit the ground in a spray of blood and gore, while Anko watched with detached interest.

As the last of his twitches faded and the spurts of blood ebbed to a faint trickle, Anko blinked in utter dispassion wondering why she didn't feel anything about this. There was no pride in this, nor satisfaction, was there something wrong with her?

She had killed him, with all of her skill and precision, it was a beautiful kill and...she felt nothing.

_"You're dying."_

"No I'm not." Anko said absently, eyes drifting to the pooling blood. "He didn't lay a finger on me."

_"Not physically, but on the inside. Emotionally, spiritually."_

"Well I never was that healthy." Anko joked, tilting her head as she studied the way shadows danced across the blood. Idly she compared this kill to Naruto's first, unprepared for the swell of pride that hit her at the memory. "Why am I proud of him?"

_"Because he's important to you. He is one of the few things that you actually care about."_

"Not me." Anko said, shaking her head, scowling as she shoved the pride down, "That's a different Anko. The one that lived in Konoha, trying to play nice with the village and earn their respect, their acceptance."

_"That's you."_

"No, that 'Anko' was at best a caricature of me. I don't want their respect or acceptance, I don't need it. All I want to do is serve Orochimaru, to make him proud and earn his acknowledgement."

_"Then why do you keep thinking about Naruto? Or Kakashi? Why did you really kill Ebisu?"_

"Orders." Anko said her tone almost bland with an undercurrent of annoyance.

_"Don't lie, you know why. Because you didn't want Naruto or Kakashi finding out about you. About how you betrayed them. You did it because you saw the look of surprise and shock on Ebisu's face. You did it because you didn't want to face the fact that you had earned the village's acceptance."_

"You're an idiot." Anko said shaking her head, finally turning to face the person on her left. Blinking she looked to her right, then spun in place, but found no sign that anyone had ever been standing there with her. Spooked, she turned back to the body, for the first time really registering the cold.

_"And you're a liar."_

"What?" Anko asked, spinning to the right this time, but found nothing. A sudden thudding in her temple made her grimace and she pressed her palm against it, trying to stop the pain.

_"Got a headache?"_

"Fuck," Anko swore, eyes darting around her before something struck her. The voice, it had been familiar from the very beginning which was why she hadn't lashed out violently when they started talking. Now she understood and she shook her head vehemently, there was no way this could be real. She couldn't be talking to _her_. That version of Anko was dead, gone and buried, she couldn't exist.

_"I do exist. Because I'm you and I'm always going to be here."_

"No!" Anko screamed, clamping hands over her ears as if trying to block out the voice. "You're dead._** Dead!**_"

As the minutes of silence stretched out, Anko let out a tiny gasp of air, her breathing easing. Slowly moving her hands, pulse thudding in her ears, she checked her surroundings. Nothing, she was alone and the voice was gone, whatever that had been, it was over. Breathing easier, Anko straightened up glancing into the tree line as three figures emerged, carrying a bound Konoha ninja.

Guren and Gozu assumed their almost natural positions, Guren in front and Gozu looming behind her, and the oddness of the couple struck Anko as it always did. Gozu was by no means the type of man that most women with the looks of Guren chose. Ishidate on the other hand, stood a little closer to Anko, cockily towering over the prone Konoha ninja he had dumped on the ground.

"I thought I told you O-sama wanted them killed?" Anko asked addressing him, her tone icy.

"We can kill him any time, but I figured you might want to confirm what we learned." Ishidate said voice rich with the superior tone that she had yet to bleed out of him "We interrogated him and learned something interesting."

"Did you?" Anko asked sarcastically, arching an eyebrow as the former Kusa ninja scowled, and then glanced at the battered ninja, "and what exactly did you learn?"

"They were an advanced scouting party for an old friend of Orochimaru-sama." Ishidate answered, his smug tone returning even stronger than before.

"Oh?" Anko said, eyes moving to Guren who meeting her gaze answered the unasked question.

"One of the Sannin, Jiraiya the Toad Hermit."

* * *

_Nami no Kuni, Region 6, abandoned temple..._

:  
Applying the last seal to the window, Naruto stepped back and glanced around before creating five Kage Bunshin, each of whom moved to their own seals. Once in place they each began molding chakra, preparing to activate them and once that happened this would become one of the most secure locations possible. Lifting his hands, mimicked eerily by his copies, Naruto took a breath and let it out slowly, "Count of three guys."

At their various noises of agreement, he started the count. "One, Two, Three."

His hand touched the two seals, as the Kage Bunshin touched their own seals, and both a silencing and a barrier seal activated, sating Naruto's paranoia. Stepping back, he shared a grin with each of his clones before they disappeared in puffs of smoke. Dusting his hands off, satisfied that the seals would keep any eavesdropping and uninvited visitors from happening, he looked around the dusty room.

The shrine had been abandoned for decades; the nearest village was miles away at the base of a mountain, making this the perfect place for the Konoha forces to create their strategy. At least that was what Nisei had said, Naruto didn't really care about that just that they had someplace to sleep other than the snow and the Haiden was perfect for that. Plopping down in a corner, Naruto crossed his arms while his mind turned toward the bigger problem of how to heat the room so he didn't shiver all night.

Picking up his hip pouch, Naruto shifted through the contents before finding what he was looking for: flipping his notebook open, Naruto began flipping through the pages. Half-finished seals, along with hastily scrawled notes in the margins tempted Naruto to stop and read, but he would have to save that for later. A minute later, he found what he was looking for and he studied the details thoughtfully to make sure he had the right one.

Naruto had based the idea off the sealing system he had found in Taki, of using ambient chakra to power the seal. Finger tracing along the line work, he frowned at the odd lay out, until he remembered that he had been toying with modifying the system to use nature chakra. That could prove useful now since there was no telling if or when they would be back. This way if he did come back, it would have been constantly storing chakra.

Unfortunately, as far as he knew this sort of thing had never been done before, but then again his training with nature chakra was sorely limited. Well, it couldn't hurt to at least try, and the worst that could happen would be it backfiring and turning him into stone. Retrieving his pouch again, he selected the needed materials and then set to work, ignoring the phantom pain that shot through his right shoulder as he worked.

After a moment, he paused, considering the half-finished seal before he ripped the page free and discarded it.

Half an hour later he had gone through ten rough outlines, hand beginning to cramp, before he finally got something that should work. He studied the layout of the seal for a moment then nodded in satisfaction, provided he had everything balanced right, this should work. Getting to his feet, he stretched his over-taut muscles and moved to the door intent on explaining his idea to Nisei who was nominally in charge of the group. That way he wouldn't be interrupted and inadvertantly turn them all into statues.

Naruto was silently praising how considerate he could be, noting Lee and his new team were watching him, when he registered Ino in the corner of his eye. His pace slowed instinctively, aware that they had yet to talk. A second later his head snapped to the side as her fist slammed into his cheek, forcing him to stumble. He snapped back around infuriated, but paused when he found the tip of Yuzuha, the sword he had given her, pressing against the base of his throat.

Glaring at her, his anger reared its ugly head within him, but he fought back the inital urge to vent and gradually it abated. Not so much because he couldn't bear to let his temper go on her, if anything about this whole situation taught him anything it was they were both willing unleash their tempers on each other. No, the reason his anger was abating was due to the unspoke understanding passing between them as they stood there glaring at each other.

It was like when she had woken up in the hospital and they had wordlessly communciated during that almost kiss: standing there holding her heated glare, he understood that she had forgiven him and that she was sorry. Reaching up slowly Naruto nudged the blade aside with a finger, apparently she was picking up on his own silent apology and forgiveness, and stepped foward without breaking eye contact.

Ino tilted her chin haughtily, daring him -challenging his intent- as he slipped his arms around her waist to pull her against him tightly.

A second later he mashed his mouth against hers, sharing a kiss with her that was filled with a ferocity they both usually only displayed in combat. Ino pressed her body hard against his own, her hand clutching firectly at the nape of his neck. His arms tightend around her waist, instinctively trying to remove any space between, before finally breaking the kiss leaving them both breathing heavily and staring at each other intently.

Finally she stepped back, breaking the embrace, before sheathing her sword.

"Nisei is making a final sweep of the area." Ino said in a subdued yet very breathy tone.

"Ok." Naruto managed thickly and then after a pause added, "Maybe we should make a sweep too."

"Sounds good to me." Ino confirmed before they set off side by side into the forest, utterly ignoring the disbelieving stares they were receiving from Lee's team and the Samurai.

* * *

**AN:**

Sorry I missed the second update in December, I didn't actually mean to but things came up. Anyway, I hope you at least found this chapter mildly enjoyable and I'll see you guys on the 20th for the next update.


	34. Chapter 32: The Last Crusade

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 32:  
_-The Last Crusade-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

_A mile from Otogakure no Sato..._

:  
:

One week.

Sighing, the white haired ninja shook his head knowing without needing confirmation that Team Ebisu was dead. They were not the strongest team, he shouldn't have even let them tag along despite how they insisted, this close to Oto they were nothing but a liability. Still, Ebisu had been adamant in the fact that he wanted the chance to help his hero Jiraiya.

Besides, the legendary ninja had no right to interfere with their previous mission to scout the enemy village. So if by some remote chance, they survived it and their information would help him Jiraiya could say nothing. But since they were overdue on the scheduled rendezvous, it seemed he would be going in blind for the most part.

Crouching, his hands flashed through a series of seals and then touched the ground, a summoning circled formed and a puff of smoke radiated outward from his hand.

"Eh, Jiriaya-chan?"

"Heya pops," Jiriaya said, smiling at the revered old toad wrapped in the cloak. Fukasaku glanced around, then noticing that he had arrived without his wife or in battle, looked shrewdly up at Jiriaya.

"What's going on?"

"Just," Jiriaya hesitated then sighed, "I'm just making final arrangements. I've already handled most of my affairs, so this will be the last bit."

"Why'd you wait till now?" Fukasaku asked, sounding annoyed "I mean, some dangerous battle is just looming around the corner and you're only now doing this sort of thing?"

"I've had a lot to deal with ya know!" Jiriaya snapped irritably then sighed, holding up a scroll "Look pop, here's a copy of my will. As for the toad scroll, it falls to Naruto."

"It would have anyway," Fukasaku said, taking the scroll, shaking his head "He's the only other toad summoner you know. If the master dies then it passes to the apprentice."

"Just wanted to make sure."

The old toad nodded and reared back on his legs, casting the cloak back. "So let's do this."

"Pa," Jiriaya said with a hint of exasperation, which the old toad picked up on. Fukasaku promptly resumed to his natural position, staring at Jiraiya with an intensity that was surprising. Seeing the understanding flashing in the old toads eyes, Jiraiya smiled "It was great ya know, travelling around writing that book and spending time with you and ma, but it's time for me to move on. I just have one last task before then, a piece of old business."

"That bad, eh?" Fukasaku said before breathing out heavily "Well, I guess I'll leave you to it then."

"Thanks." Jiraiya said gratefully as the toad disappeared into a puff of smoke. With that done, all he had left was his disagreement with Orochimaru that he should have finished decades ago. Standing slowly, knees aching, Jiraiya took a deep breath and started walking through the forest toward the entrance to Otogakure no Sato.

It wasn't a long trip, at least to his point of view, actually in his private opinion he arrived much too quickly. But there was nothing he could do now that he was starting at the entrance of the underground compound, which unsurprisingly resembled a temple with its garbled roof and grayish walls. Typical Orochimaru to try and make something of his seem grander than it really was.

Walking across the clearing toward the entrance, he paused as a figure emerged from the dark doorway. A young man, dressed in non-descript clothes, with grey hair and glasses: Yakushi Kabuto, informally called the Butcher by certain members of Otogakure, the right hand man of Orochimaru. Kabuto had a mysterious smirk as he reached the top most stairs leading down to the entrance and stood expectantly.

"Ho ho, he sent an escort eh." Jiriaya asked, approaching slowly, sad at the loss of Ebisu and his team.

"Of course Jiriaya-sama," Kabuto said pleasantly "how could he not send someone to greet his old teammate? Also I'm to offer my services as a physician if you need them."

"Right."

"I'm not here to fight, you don't sense any hostility from me do you?" Kabuto asked his tone polite and somewhat happy.

"Hostility?" Jiriaya echoed, snorting "No, but that doesn't mean I trust you. Besides, as the Legendary Toad Sage I'm always perfectly healthy!"

"Are you sure?" Kabuto asked, the boisterous and confident tone catching him by surprise.

"I am." Jiriaya said, grinning smugly. He had expected the man to notice the signs of his Fatal Chakra Poisoning, any one with decent medical training would, and now Kabuto was uncertain about this. "So lead the way, I've got something's to talk about with your master."

"Very well." Kabuto said before turning to lead the way underground.

Jiriaya paused long enough to take what he knew to be his last look at the sky and sun before descending into the snake lair.

* * *

Orochimaru had often wondered when and who Konoha would send to try and assassinate him, he was a feared missing ninja and they did not have long lives after all. The fact that it had taken them this long to send one of the other Sannin after him, well that amused him. Admittedly Orochimaru, unlike other missing-ninja, had never sold information on Konoha security but that had been less about loyalty and more self interest: provided he was the only one that knew the secrets then only he could exploit them.

The sound of footsteps against stone stairs pulled him out of his musing seconds before Kabuto emerged from the passageway followed by Jiraiya. Even from this distance, amid the flickering torches and shadows of the pillars Orochimaru could see the signs of Fatal Chakra Poisoning that ravaged Jiraiya. In an odd way he was sad to see the state of the other Sannin, Orochimaru had always found Jiriaya's constant energy and thirst for life admirable, so seeing him like this was a little disconcerting.

Still, the white haired man had some miles left in him.

"Orochimaru-sama, our guest has arrived."

"Ah, Jiraiya!" Orochimaru said happily before glancing at his personal medic, "I believe this is a personal matter."

"Of course." Kabuto said, inclining his head slightly before turning to Jiraiya, "Jiraiya-sama, it was an honor to meet you."

Orochimaru watched the younger man as he disappeared down a side passage, which then shut with a heavy stone block. Turning his attention back to his former team mate, he smirked. "Kukuku, welcome to my home."

"Dark, dank, utterly lacking in soul." Jiraiya commented, glancing around "Fits you perfectly Orochimaru."

"You've still got your humor," Orochimaru said, grinning faintly, "So tell me, what brings my _esteemed_ former team mate to see me?

"I'm here to kill you."

"I see." Orochimaru said, not showing his surprise at such a curt answer. Jiraiya had always been the most emotional of the team, so this was something new, and there was a resolve that Orochimaru couldn't remember ever seeing in the other man's eyes. "Playing the Noble hero? Hm, being the Gallant Jiraiya?"

"There is nothing noble in this, nothing gallant." Jiraiya said, shaking his head, "I'm here to kill you. It's as simple as that."

"That's a change. Last time we met, you were intent on trying to save me." Orochimaru said, subtly molding chakra and feeding it into the ground. As Jiraiya shrugged Orochimaru released the Doton: Gyoraishin, and sent nails made of earth hurtling toward his old team mate. Jiraiya countered by clasping hands and initiating his Hari Jizō, causing his hair to expand and wrap around his body creating a shell of white hair that deflected the various earth nails.

Orochimaru had known that reaction and seized the offensive, forming the hand seals for the Doton: Iwa Yado Kuzushi. The whole chamber shuddered and shook as chunks of stone tore free from the ceiling and walls, hurtling through the air toward Jiraiya. His team mate had started moving the instant the chamber started shaking, dodging and occasionally obliterating a chunk of rock with a Rasengan.

Letting the previous technique finish, Orochimaru crouched and opening his mouth released a torrent of serpents that rushed head long toward Jiraiya. The other Sannin countered by leaping high into the air, flipping so that his feet struck the stone and held with chakra. A second later he brought his hands up and began spraying globs of a thick liquid at everything below him.

Orochimaru was forced onto the defensive at this, dodging and weaving his way to avoid the globs of oil. Jiraiya was coating everything with the stuff, much to Orochimaru's chagrin this included the snakes. Coming to a stop behind a pillar, Orochimaru heard the faint 'woosh' that suddenly ignited flames always created.

The blast of heat that washed over him told him that Jiraiya had just used a fire technique to ignite the oil that coated nearly every surface in the chamber. The most likely candidate considering it was Jiraiya would be the Katon Endan, Orochimaru thought, before peeking carefully from his hiding space to studying the sea of flames that now coated the chamber. The real danger wasn't the fire itself, they were meant to delay the fight and give Jiraiya time to consider the situation, but rather that the flames would eventually consume all the available oxygen and asphyxiate them both.

Concentrating his chakra and forming the Tora seal, Orochimaru stepped out from behind the pillar and exhaled sharply unleashing a Fūton: Daitoppa. The gale of wind howled through the chamber as it forcibly fanned the flames before snuffing them out from the sheer force of its wind. Smirking in satisfaction Orochimaru turned his attention toward the ceiling to see how Jiraiya would react to that but found nothing.

Orochimaru recognized the danger too late as he registered movement from behind and turned to find Jiraiya leaping off the wall, a flaming Rasengan in hand. Orochimaru cried out at the impact and was sent hurtling away with searing flames licking at his flesh, trying to consume him. He crashed through another pillar raining chunks of stone down as his arc through the air carried him into a wall and then to the ground while the flames climbed higher over him and seared his flesh.

It took great effort but he managed to exert his chakra, converting his body into a kind of oil that seeped into the ground merging with the stone floor. The flames snuffed out and a second later Orochimaru reemerged, flesh seared and grinned at a disgruntled Jiraiya. Despite his grin however, Orochimaru was raging on the inside about letting the fool get the drop on him and trying to block out the raw pain that was lancing through is body.

Registering Jiraiya lunging forward with another Rasengan, Orochimaru began focusing on his spine. It cracked and rippled, the flesh ripping itself apart and he emerged from his damaged body whole and perfect just as the Rasengan from his former team mate struck his discarded husk. In the confusion of the moment Orochimaru managed to put some space between them, taking up a location far from a satisfied looking Jiraiya.

Fool, Orochimaru sneered mentally as he adopted a smug stance before addressing the other Sannin. "Kukuku, this is proving interesting."

"Slither all you want," Jiraiya countered, but there was a weakness in his tone that Orochimaru couldn't miss, "but I'm going to cut your head off."

"Is that so?" Orochimaru taunted, holding both his hands out and with twin Seneitajashu sent torrents of snakes hurtling toward his enemy.

* * *

_Nami no Kuni, Region 1, overlooking a small village..._

:  
:

It was snowing.

Again.

Asuma sighed, blowing a smoke ring as he eyed the darkening sky: why did clandestine meetings have to take place in such remote locations? Security was one thing, but he was getting a little too old to be standing around in this kind of weather. Still, the chance to gain serious intelligence on Unity didn't come along every day.

A sharp bite of wind sent a shiver through him and he took a long drag on his cigarette. Breathing out sharply he mumbled in annoyance, swearing that if this turned out to be a waste of time he would be beyond upset. Not that he seriously considered that a possibility, after all whoever had delivered the message had to be skilled to do so undetected.

The same could be said for him as well, Asuma was more than aware that this could be a trap by Unity: Hence he had taken a few important steps just in case things went south. For one he had left behind a warning note for his protege and favorite student Shikamaru, for another while he didn't want to risk a Kage Bunshin being discovered he had one of Enma's numerous nephews, Shizaru, hidden with a tape recorder.

If this was a trap by Unity they would find his death would serve no purpose.

Huffing, he flicked the guttering cigarette into a nearby snow mound before rubbing at his neck trying to relieve a crick. A moment later he sensed a new presence and something about it seemed familiar, but what exactly he couldn't put a finger on. Registering faint movement in the corner of his eye, he resisted the urge to turn his head, for the moment there was no sense of hostility.

Asuma tracked the mysterious figure by the crunching snow, until they came into his field of view and he felt his eyes widen in surprise. The young woman across from him was dressed in better clothes than the last time he had seen her and she was also more mature than he remembered. He also noted that her innocence seemed to have become a shadow of itself as well. "Tōu?"

"Hello Asuma-han," Tōu said, her tone soft "Its been a while."

"At least five years." Asuma said, old emotions stirring. She had been the only female in the Twelve Guardians, and they had been the closest in age to each other. He could almost see the ghost of the younger girl, but chose to ignore it. "I thought you were still with the Guardians."

"I left them a year after you." Tōu said, shrugging "I returned to Konoha, but you were...occupied. So I entered ANBU."

"Ah." Asuma managed, then shifted at the awkwardness that settled between them. Looking to the side he studied the village in the distance, he found it oddly soothing. He had meet Yūhi Kurenai a few months after returning to the village and he he'd fallen hard, to be honest he had nearly forgotten about Tōu.

"I'm sorry," Tōu said after a moment and he turned back she sighed, "I didn't want our past...look, let's just get to why I'm here."

"Right," Asuma agreed, closing the distance so their voices wouldn't carry quite so well. "Unity."

"Unity." she agreed, turning to look at the sky, "I met the founder once, Danzō was a very ambitious man. I was pulled into his fanaticism, his vision for the future. I was there from almost day one, working to pull the country together: It was a noble goal and it had been a long time since I had one."

"The almost rebellion." Asuma said, remembering that moment in time. When the Twelve Guardians had been split in half, by one man and his insane desire to take over the country. After that, any pleasure and joy Asuma or Tōu could take from the assignment was lost. "So, Danzō pulled you into Unity."

"Yes," Tōu said, sighing as she closed her eyes, "The chance to make a difference, it was a powerful pull. It wasn't just me either, there were four of us in the Inner Circle: Myself, Tenzo, Kazuma, and Seito. Tenzo served as Danzō's lieutenant and the rest of us were given special assignments. Kazuma was in charge of researching the past experiments of Orochimaru, especially the Cursed Seal; Seito was in charge of political manipulation and assassinations."

"And you?" Asuma asked, stepping closer, wanting to offer some kind of support at her hesitation.

"Loyalty programs." Tōu explained, turning to look at him, her eyes pleading. "I modified memories, I recruited, I blackmailed and manipulated. I even began use of a certain seal that ensured the orders from Unity were followed without question or hesitation."

"A seal?"

"A Loyalty Seal, I've got a half-dozen ninja under its influence right now."

"Like who?" Asuma asked, startled and frightened.

"The Head of the Military Police Tenten, Daikoku the Superintendent of the Academy, Yurika from the Decoding Department and Kiyoshi." Tōu said, before adding, "Also Inuzaka Tsume and Kaomoji Chief of the Barrier Team."

Asuma blinked, his mouth falling open in sheer horror: Unity had the enforced loyalty of several important, and key, ninja. Unity had sank its claws deeper into the defenses of Konoha than anyone could have imagined. A second later suspicion reared its head and he focused on Tōu completely, "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Unity is fractured and the inner circle is going to start fighting for supremacy," Tōu paused, shaking her head, "we've already started the maneuvering and posturing. All we need now is a spark to ignite the fire, and when that happens, no matter who wins Konoha will lose."

"You don't want my help disbanding Unity." Asuma said in sudden understanding, taking a step back.

"Insightful as ever," she admitted with a wane grin, "but not quite right. I do want your help in dealing with Unity, if the Hokage became aware of the others and their actions they could be removed."

"Leaving you to assume control over Unity." Asuma summarized, nodding faintly, it was a brilliant idea. She'd take command without having to fight the others, thus avoiding a civil war, and Konoha could have stability. Shaking his head he let out a heavy breath "You know I can't do that. It's all or nothing."

"I know." Tōu said, her tone soft "that's why I sent the note. I needed to ensure you would be away from your guards."

"Assassination?" Asuma asked, chuckling darkly, "I thought that was Seito's area."

"I was going to try the Loyalty Seal," Tōu admitted with a shrug, "but I don't think it'd work on you. At least not as effectively as I require, but with you removed I'll have access to someone in legitimate authority more easily manipulated."

Asuma started to respond, but found his body frozen in place and a horrible understanding washed over him. Tōu had hit him with the Kanashibari no Jutsu, talk about getting sloppy. Despite the new situation he wanted to laugh, because she had no clue what she was actually setting in motion. Even without the recording Shizaru would be delivering to Shikamaru, manipulating Shikamaru would be nearly impossible.

"So, you see, I have no choice." Tōu finished, stepping forward, rising up to brush her lips against his before stepping back and turning away.

A second later a sharp pain ripped through him, and his eyes widened as the paralysis of her technique broke. Looking down, he found a bloody blade protruding from his chest, as a numbness spread into his arms and legs. The sword was poisoned, an extra measure to ensure death in case the attacker had missed his heart.

Lifting his head to met Tōu's gaze, he coughed, even as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "This wasn't a choice Tōu, just the easy way."

"Took the words out of my mouth." A new, feminine voice whispered in his ear, before jerking the blade out and shoving him aside.

Hitting the ground in a heap, his blood staining the snow Asuma focused through his rapidly approaching death. The woman that stepped into view wore a red outfit (unbuttoned short sleeved vest, chest bindings, skirt with red sash, elbow length gloves, and shin protector), with her white hair tied back and multiple flower petal tattoos on the left side of her body.

As she sheathed her ANBU sword into the hilt strapped to her left leg, a macabre laugh escaped him.

Kagura, the infamous Hagane Satsushi.

* * *

_Sunagakure no Sato, Meeting Room..._

:  
:

The room was dominated by the large table, upon which are numerous reports and maps, as well as a large military map of the continent. The Yondaime Kazekage sat motionlessly, like a cobra waiting to strike, studying each of his generals: Isago had served as one of Baki's assistants when the man had been in charge of combat exercises, Otokaze and had gained notice after the Iwa invasion by taking the lead in coordinating several Suna teams on joint raids. Setetsu was there due mainly to his cunning nature and unquestioned loyalty toward the Kazekage.

None of them dared speak, aware that while they might be on the Village Council the power balance had shifted. After spending generations as little more than a politically impotent figurehead, a Kazekage had claimed absolute authority of the village. Being on the Village Council was now little more than being an adviser to the Kazekage.

"Councilors," The Kazekage finally said, slowly squaring up the stack of reports in front of him. "We have all read the reports, so I'm going to summarize briefly. Our forces are stretched thin but we are holding out, we've resumed our raids using more strategic guidelines and have secured supplies from Cha no Kuni."

There was a chorus of agreements with that.

"Does this bother anyone else?" The Kazekage asked, looking around the table, seeing the curiosity and confusion. "Merely holding out is losing. We can't keep that up, nor do we have the strength to reclaim a single village because Iwa will instantly over run us through sheer numbers. We need new options."

None of them moved, each glancing at each other before looking at him once more.

"Kazekage-sama," Isago said carefully, "may we ask what options you have come up with?"

"As it sits, we have two: unconditional surrender and death, or cowardly retreat." The Kazekage said flatly, glaring at him, "That is why I asked for options from _you_."

Nobody spoke, a troubled silence settling over them.

"I offer an alternative option, Kazekage-dono." A new voice said from the corner of the room, where a figure stood bathed in the soft shadows of the room.

"Who are you?" The Kazekage asked, trying to figure out how she had gotten into the sealed room while eying the blue haired woman wearing the red and black cloak carefully. He knew from old intellegence reports that she belonged to Akatsuki, but since they had lost contact with Gaara months ago, it was assumed that he had been captured by Akatsuki and that the group wouldn't turn back up in Suna. So what could someone from that group want with him and his village now?

"My name is Konan, and I am a messenger for the God of the coming age." She said without inflection, staring at him, "Are you willing to listen to the message I bring?"

"Very well." The Kazekage said, inclining his head.

"My lord, Pain, is aware of your plight and offers this message: If you agree to an alliance, we will provide you with assistance in your conflict."

"Ambiguous enough," The Kazekage muttered, sitting forward "What is the cost of this 'assistance', and what form will this 'assistance' take?"

"We have no need for money or resources," Konan explained as if she were reciting from a script, "what we are interested in is certain research that you currently possess. The exact details will be explained later, after you've accepted our offer."

"So in exchange for this 'research', what exactly do you intend to give us?" Isago asked derisively. "Pretty words? Perhaps you plan to seduce them into submission?"

"In exchange for what we ask," Konan continued not showing any recognition that the man had spoken "We will grant you access to the weapon that is responsible for the destruction of the Kusa Capital."

"What are you talking about?" The Kazekage asked scowling at her and the claim she had just made. It would be possible for them to be unaware of the Kusa capital being destroyed, but the claim she made seemed outrageous.

"A little over two months ago, we test fired a weapon on the Kusa Capital. While still incomplete, this test provided adequate results and we feel confident enough to offer it in exchange for our requirements to complete it."

"A very fanciful story, but you know we can't simply zip up to Kusa to confirm for ourselves." The Kazekage countered darkly, not hiding his doubt in the least.

"You require proof." Konan said dispassionately "Which city would you like destroyed?"

"Just like that? Just pick a city and you'll destroy it?" The Kazekage asked, snorting, "Fine, the Kaze no Kuni capital Akirunōfu. Iwa and Tsuchi have their main forces situated there, so that's a perfect target."

"Very well." Konan said beginning to disappear into a swirl of paper "I will return three days after its destruction to finalize our agreement."

The woman disappeared completely after that pronouncement, the paper dissolving into nothing. The Kazekage sat there silently for several long moments and then glanced at Otokaze, "Send an ANBU to observe Akirunōfu, if they do destory that city I want to know how and when exactly."

"Yes sir."

* * *

_Otogakure no Sato..._

:  
:

Jiraiya was a proud man, a powerful man and he was not ashamed to admit that few could match him in combat.

The evidence littered the ruined chambers: Pillars were broken apart, smashed to dust. The walls were crumbling, battered and cracked, the floor and ceiling baked to the point of cracking under the slightest pressure. So it went without saying that Jiraiya the Legendary Toad Summoner, one of the strongest ninja to ever emerge from Konoha, could have won this battle three times over if not for Orochimaru's forbidden rebirthing ninjutsu.

Yet, could or should did not get the job done, it was hard for Jiraiya to acknowledge it, but Orochimaru had won before they had even started fighting. As Jiraiya caved in half the chamber with a semi-forbidden earth ninjutsu, there came the final turning point in this battle. The Fatal Chakra Poisoning that he had been living with, that Tsunade had been slowing with her treatments finally caught up to him.

Jiraiya collapsed to his knees as blood oozed down his cheeks from his eyes, as it leaked onto his lips and into his parted mouth. Looking up as darkness crept into the edge of his vision, he found Orochimaru standing atop a toppled pillar showing signs of exhaustion. He took cold comfort in the fact that while he had failed to kill Orochimaru he had ensured that the man would be less of a threat to Konoha for a while.

Jiraiya mused that he shouldn't have waited so long to attempt this, if in his last moments he had managed to push the other Sannin to this point then a month ago he could have killed him. Two months ago, it was possible that Jiraiya could have killed Orochimaru and returned to Tsunade to live out his last hours, but now that wasn't an option. Jiraiya was going to die in this cursed hole in the ground, while Orochimaru stood there grinning.

Jiraiya hated that grin, had hated it even before they had become Genin under Old Sarutobi. It was smug, it was cocky, it was an 'I'm better than you' and Jiraiya hated it from the bottom of his soul. A sharp cough splattered the ground with bloody chunks, distracting him from the grin of his former teammate and he collapsed forward onto his hands, arms trembling to support his weight in this position.

Damn it.

"Kukuku, it's over now isn't it?" Orochimaru asked unable to hide his glee even among his raspy tone. "Not bad of course, but I am almost the Perfect Being."

"Y-You're just a scared old man." Jiraiya managed, his head swimming and eyes closing, fighting to not collapse even as his strength left him. He wanted to laugh, to cry, rage: he had never once pictured his life ending this way. If he died in combat, if that was his fate, Jiraiya had always pictured it as a blaze of glory to make amends for all the failures that made up his life.

Not here, on some dirt floor, his body betraying him.

"It's all been a waste of time." Jiraiya wheezed, losing touch with his senses as he finally collapsed into a heap.

_"Don't say that. I thought it was great. Especially at the end, when the protagonist refused to give up, that was really cool. Just like you." _

Wha, who?

_"We want our child to be like that. That's why we've decided to name him after the main character."_

You're...are you sure about that? If I name him, that makes me his godfather doesn't it?

_"Naruto. It's a beautiful name." _

But, but...

_"I can think of no Shinobi finer than you. Without a doubt."_

But I'm tired, so very tired. Its over for me, I'm sorry but I just can't.

_"Ero-sennin! I promise I'm gonna be Hokage! The Greatest Hokage in History!"_

Naruto?

_"I don't go back on my words, that's my ninja way!"_

Gah, you annoying little brat. But you're right, I promised to end this and I can't leave it like this.

Everything was so heavy, like trying to move a mountain. His chest didn't want to expand, the air like sludge but with a supreme exertion of will, Jiraiya took a single shallow breath and cleared his mind of all illusions. The pain was gone now, but in its own way, that was an agony, not that it mattered he had to focus on what he was about to do and nothing would stop him from doing that.

He had hesitated to use senjutsu during the fight against Orochimaru out of an unconscious sense of prideful arrogance that he would live through this fight.

But he still had a chance to make things right, to be able to look Minato, the Sandaime and Kushina proudly in the eye in the next life. Senjutsu required not only an ability to balance ones chakra against that of the worlds, but it also required the loss of pretense. As his chakra harmonized with the worlds, as he fought against the slightest imbalance that would cause his body to eventually morph into a stone statue waiting for his enemy to shatter him, he accepted the world as it was.

He loved Tsunade. He didn't want to die. He was going to die. Today was a good day to die.

Senjutsu went beyond even the Sage of the Sixth Paths. To use senjutsu was to do nothing less than become a living extension of creation itself.

Without opening his eyes he located Orochimaru, his former comrade's dark and twisted chakra flittered across his senses like an ink stain. Jiraiya struggled to move, but his body was no longer flexible, it was hardening into a rigid shell. He was becoming stone and he accepted the truth but moved on, it didn't ultimately matter to his final goal: to stop a being intent on defying the natural order of the universe.

Eyes opening, Jiraiya forced his body into a crouch his fingers touching the ground. Orochimaru paused halfway to the sealed doorway and Jiraiya shifted his weight leaping forward, as his legs stretched out behind him. Hands touching a toppled pillar, he rebounded with an even more powerful jump as Orochimaru blocked the punch flying toward his face. A pointless effort, his crossed arms might have stopped the fist, but the natural chakra flowing through Jiraiya extended beyond the physical and sent the other Sannin flying with the sound of bone cracking.

Orochimaru crashed through one of the few still standing pillars, and then through a wall.

Jiraiya landed and realized this his lungs were no longer expanding, but he took comfort in the wordless music filling his ears. Another lunge sent the Toad Summoner hurtling after Orochimaru, even as his senses reported the twisted chakra of the other man shifting into something even more unnatural. Landing in the ante-chamber that Orochimaru had crashed into, he found his former friend's body expanding and undulating as the human form was shredded revealing a massive white snake.

A blur of motion followed and the tail of Orochimaru smashed into the petrified ribs of Jiraiya, sending him hurtling through another wall back into the larger chamber. Shattering a pillar Jiraiya slammed into the ground, gouging out a chunk of the ground before coming to a stop. A low rumble filled the chamber and the massive snake body of Orochimaru smashed its way into the ruined main chamber, its bestial golden eyes glinting with human anticipation as it shot toward him.

Leveraging his body up to a standing position once more, Jiraiya met the creature with his ninjutsu of last resort: The Chō Ōdama Rasengan.

Orochimaru realized his mistake too late. With access to the power of Senjutsu, the massive sphere of swirling chakra came quick and effortlessly to Jiraiya. The power vaporized Orochimaru instantly and then the impact of the blast tore through the underground village.

All that was left behind following this final confrontation was a massive sinkhole where a once feared hidden village had been.

* * *

_There, Naruto I kept my word. I'm going to sleep now, so I'll leave it all to you._

* * *

**AN:**

Kagura is an original character created for the American-exclusive Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2. She gets included because A) I liked her design, B) because I liked her character and C) I needed a character and she was pre-made.

As for her nickname, Hagane Satsushi, it means Steel Assassin (Thanks goes to Daughter of Ember for helping out with the Japanese for this nickname.)

Tōu is from the Fire Temple Filler Arc in Naruto Shippūden. Her debut was Episode 66. Oddly enough the background concept for this arc bears similarity to my Unity plot in both Altered History and Shinobi Wars.

Also of note, in the filler she was on the anti-rebellion side and here she's pro-rebellion.


	35. Chapter 33: Battle of Lake Tenjin

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 33  
_-Battle of Lake Tenjin-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

_December 17th_

* * *

_Region 6..._

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Rock Lee grimaced, shaking his foot absently to clear the slush from the inside of his sandal. You would think that a camp, even in winter, would be devoid of slush but sadly that wasn't the case. If you weren't careful where you stepped you found slush and sometimes it depended on which tree you stood under.

Of course the snow/slush that came from the tree was mostly due to Naruto. While the rest of them, well except for Ino, slept in tents Naruto and Ino slept in the trees. While many things could be said in favor of Naruto, the thing that couldn't be omitted was the fact that he found it funny to dump snow on people.

After a week people learned quickly to locate which tree Naruto had staked claim to and avoided it. It was perhaps a testimony to the respect they had for Naruto that no one had as of yet tried to slaughter him, he was merely trying to lighten the mood. After all the entire reason they were in the forest was so that they could methodically chop away at the Kumo forces.

A daunting task by any stretch of the imagination since Konoha had only three teams per region while Kumo had eight. Hence the concept of chopping the enemy forces into smaller chunks, using hit and run tactics to force the larger enemy to break into smaller units for pursuit. When in smaller groups, Konoha would assault with their superior numbers.

The danger of course was that they might not be quick enough in escaping before the other Kumo teams arrived. Usually when that happened, they only managed to escape due to Naruto or Lee providing a distraction. Over all this tactic had worked frighteningly well, they had eliminated three of the eight teams, and if the scout report they were waiting on was good, that would soon be four out of eight.

The Tokubetsu Jōnin shifted his weight, glancing around the dim camp, before spotting Naruto seated near the guttering fire scribbling away in a notebook. Moving closer, Lee settled down near one of the other fires, considering his friend and comrade with unusual intensity. The others on his team had all commented on Naruto and his darker nature, even the samurai that they would be leading into battle soon were aware of it, and Lee couldn't place a finger on why.

Lee admitted freely that something about Naruto troubled him lately, but it wasn't of a darker nature. It was of a more intangible nature, the best example Lee could offer was the lack of grief the ninja had shown after Anko's funeral. Lee, being mindful of how personal a funeral was to others, had waited until after Naruto finally left the graveyard to offer his condolences.

Instead of a muttered thanks, or an awkward silence, Naruto had flashed a grin thanked Lee and proceeded to tell an amusing story about Anko.

Lee supposed it could be how the young man dealt with his grief, but Lee couldn't comprehend it. The loss of Anjin left Lee in a sort of daze, a dull ache that made it so very hard to grin or keep the flames of his youth burning bright. To lose someone so young, even in the line of duty, gnawed at Lee and filled him with the deepest urge to cry.

Unconsciously, Lee ran a quick hand over his eyes to ensure that he in fact wasn't crying. Satisfied with that, he breathed easier, reminding himself that his other two children were safe. Reformed into a team with Uzumaki Hanabi, so that while they were understandable troubled at the loss of their brother in the Flames of Youth, they would have a reassuring and comforting presence to guide them.

"Captain."

Lee came out of his thoughts, blinking once before looking up at Mozuku, one of his new teammates. "Yes?"

"The scouts are back," Mozuku said, crouching so that they were eye level. "Yamanaka-san and Oukei confirm the total number of Kumo ninja to be one full squad, backed by one complete battalion of samurai."

"Full?" Lee asked, startled. That would be eight Kumo ninja and a thousand samurai, larger than they would normally find though a still manageable situation.

"Yes, Besshu-san and Samo want all of us present so we can plan the attack."

"Of course." Lee said, standing, as did Mozuku, heading for where the other ninja were gathering. Taking a seat next to the others, Lee nodded at Nisei, pleased to feel the warmth of a stronger fire wash over him. Funny how one could forget about things like being cold or hungry until you were presented with warmth or fire.

"Now that we're all together," Nisei said, nodding at Ino and Oukei "please lay out the details for us."

"Not much to say," Ino admitted, having sat next to Naruto closer than was actually necessary. "A squad of Kumo ninja and battalion of Kaminari samurai strung along a logging road, flanked by Lake Tenjin to the south-west and a much denser forest to the north."

"Their security made us hesitate," Oukei added, holding his hands before the fire "it's almost non-existent. That's what took us so long we were triple checking the area."

"I don't like it," Mozuku said, voicing what every ninja was thinking "they _have _to be aware of our tactic by now. They should have tightened security up, instead there just leaving the front door open. It's got to be a trap."

"You'd think so," Ino said, shaking her head, "But neither of us saw a hint of one. No hidden ninja, no summoning seals, we searched all over the place but there's nothing."

"It appears, that against our instincts, we must go on the information we do have." Nisei said, before shooting a still preoccupied Naruto a glance.

"Yosh, Besshu-san is correct." Lee said, flashing a reassuring smile. "We must plan quickly, dawn will soon be here and our youthful flames will be wasted if not used soon."

"As I see it, we have two possible plans of engagement: over the frozen lake or through the thick forest. Using the Lake of course, would be the quickest way for our troops to get into position." Nisei said, turning his attention back to the planning of the assault "However, if the enemy detects our movement, we would be vulnerable to devastating counter fire."

"What about the second option?" Mozuku asked, frowning.

"Approaching through the forest would be slower, but it would be _stealthier_. If we were discovered, or hit with an unexpected ambush, we could quickly withdraw into the woods and escape, or regroup for a second attack later."

"Well the answers obvious then," Oukei said, "we go through the forest. The numbers are on their side, and even if the frozen lake is the quickest route, we can't risk moving in the open where we might be detected. The forest is our best option."

As everyone nodded in agreement, including Naruto (who Ino had just elbowed in the ribs), Nisei expanded the details. "We advance through the forest and then fan out along the Kaminari column to launch our assault. I want the archers spaced at intervals with our crossbow team centrally positioned. If the Kumo ninja discover us during our approach, melt into the woods and come back here."

"Actually," Lee offered, scowling slightly "why not attempt to flank them? My team can cross the lake and take them from behind while the main forces attack from the front."

"It would be doubtful you could cross the lake with both the necessary speed and stealth." Nisei said, before adding, "However, flanking them is a sound strategy. Once we are in position, take your team and peel off toward the right."

"Yosh, our youthful energy will not let you down."

* * *

_Region 6, Base Fuuyou…_

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:

Hanabi scanned her small room one last time, ensuring that she had everything she would need for the patrol. Nothing stuck out in her examination, unlike her first patrol in which Hanabi had forgotten the map and compass. Tsuzumi had been generous enough later to chalk it off to a combination of nerves and having only recently (as well as reluctantly) been cleared for duty.

Hanabi however, wasn't quite so forgiving. She'd spent the rest of the day mentally berating her actions and swore not to make such a mistake ever again.

Satisfied that she would forget nothing, she retrieved her backpack and hurried out of the room and into the pre-dawn lit courtyard. Her eyes adjusted almost instantly to the pale light that filled the sky, even as the samurai changed shifts around her. Taking a breath, she let it out slowly, mindful that she still needed to be careful on how much stress she put on her body.

She was under strict medical observation, they seemed worried that she would stupidly push her body to far too fast. Admittedly Hanabi wasn't taking it as easy as they would prefer, Yuu the medical ninja on her team was especially annoyed, but she wasn't an idiot. Her body needed time to recover, and she would give it as much time as she could.

Still they were in a war and she needed to retrain her body as quickly as she could.

Heading toward the gate, where her teams would be waiting, she debated about which pattern to take this time. Normally they alternated between clockwise and counter clockwise, but Hanabi had been musing with the concept of attempting both patterns at the same time. Though that would involve breaking her team down into two-man units, which lowered the survival probability if they encountered an enemy.

Still, this was a patrol and they weren't supposed to engage an enemy. Locate, gauge the strength and report back were the standing orders, but Hanabi knew that the real world would not allow that to happen. Still, she hesitated to actually employ the new pattern, her own life she had no trouble risking, but she was aware of the other three lives she was responsible for.

Speaking of which, there was Teru standing rigidly near the side entrance, his face hard. Whatever softness he had retained from the academy had been extinguished with the death of Anjin, there was a rough edge to him that bothered Hanabi. To borrow an analogy, he was a jagged blade that would harm both the target and the user.

Gaze shifting, Hanabi found Kojiro sitting silently on the other side of the doorway, her face pensive. The other had been a thinker before, but now she was turning inward and at times Hanabi actually worried the girl was going to get lost inside her own mind. Thankfully Teru provided just enough of a connection that it wasn't likely to happen any time soon.

Reaching them, her stomach rolled, as it always did when she took up her responsibility. "Morning Teru-san. Kojiro-san."

"Good morning." Teru returned, while Kojiro merely nodded. Then his attention flickered over her shoulder adding, "Here comes Hata-san."

Turning, Hanabi spotted the fourteen year old who was almost running while stuffing items into his hip pouch. "You're late. Again."

"Sorry." Yuu managed, giving her an apologetic grin "Konpou-sensei kept me up late practicing a few new techniques."

"I'm sure he did." Teru muttered, just loud enough to be heard, prompting Yuu to flush. Hanabi fought the scowl and the grin that wanted to escape her, it was a poor secret that Konpou had certain tastes or that Yuu was interested in being tasted. Seeing her gaze, Teru shrugged and helped Kojiro to her feet.

"Anyway," Hanabi said, filling the awkward silence that settled over the group concentrating on her heart beat. "We have the same mission as always. We patrol the area surrounding the base, looking for anything unusual and responding appropriately."

They all made the expected agreeing noises, by now they knew the mission but Hanabi liked to do the briefing anyway. It kept her shaky nerves from getting to bad; she doubted she'd ever get comfortable being in command.

"We'll head south about eight hundred yards and then we move north-east. Once we hit a small river, we follow the bank north for about a klick and then loop back." Hanabi paused, before letting out a tiny breath "It should take about nine hours, our second patrol is four hours after the first and we back track our earlier path."

"So we're making two patrols today?" Teru asked, sounding startled.

"Yes." Hanabi confirmed, feeling a little better, and pleased with her new pattern. It would, if nothing else break up the monotony. "As for duties, Teru you're the cover man. Kojiro navigator and flank security. Hata-san, you can be our pace man as well as medic and I'll take point."

Each one echoed 'yes' at her orders.

"And Yuu-san," Hanabi said, glancing at him "try to keep an accurate count of how far we travel. I don't want Kojiro-san to have to try and navigate our route blindly again."

"I told you I was sorry about that." Yuu muttered, before seeing her look and gulping "I mean, right captain. You can count on me."

Hanabi sighed, adjusting her backpack absently "Let's go."

* * *

_Nami no Kuni, Region 6, Lake Tenjin…_

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:

Nisei crouched immobile among the shrubbery, his patience wearing thin. The samurai seemed to be taking an hour to get into position, despite the fact that the captains were experienced. Nisei wanted to do something, the longer they sat there waiting the higher the chances of getting spotted became, in which case this would quickly become a bloodbath.

Catching a flash from a mirror, Nisei glanced in Naruto's direction, and then nodding he glanced at Ino, who flashed her mirror as well. The samurai were finally in position, and he shifted his weight speaking in a low tone ordering the archers to prepare. Another glance confirmed that Naruto and Ino had ordered their samurai to prepare as well: some were drawing katana and others hefting spears adopting better stances for their coming charge.

Satisfied he touched the radio, speaking briefly to Lee clearing his team to start moving to the right for their flanking maneuver. Satisfied that the pieces for the attack were well under way, Nisei changed the channel on his radio and gave the go ahead for Naruto and Ino to signal for the attack to begin.

Like the well-trained unit that they were, the samurai launched themselves into action. The archers took aim and fired in rapid succession, the newly acquired crossbows inflicting heavy losses, while others broke cover and charged into battle with spear and katana. Against another foe, this sudden and overwhelming show of force would have won the day, but the Kaminari samurai rallied and with a roar launched a counter attack with a contagious ferocity.

Nisei however, was only peripherally aware of the samurai; instead, his focus was on trying to find the Kumo ninja. They should have launched their counter attack by now, but so far, they had remained hidden. Perhaps they thought this merely a matter of samurai against samurai, thus not worth their time or effort- Nisei's musing on such a thought was interrupted when he caught movement to his right; a group of wild samurai were charging toward the archers.

He was debating how to handle the problem when a barrage of kunai from the left cut them down, followed by Naruto breaking cover and entering the fight itself. Nisei had to chuckle, apparently he was not the only one thinking about how to find the Kumo ninja, and Naruto's solution would be a unique way of locating them. It did not take long before the air echoed with the sharp crack of super-heated air as lighting began to rain down on the tree line, obliterating portions of the archers.

"Scatter!" Nisei shouted, mentally swearing at his stupidity. He should have realized that once Naruto revealed his presence that the Kumo ninja would start destroying the tree line in search of the rest of the Konoha ninja. Scrambling out of his hiding location, as did Ino, Nisei heard the death cry of the archers too slow to avoid the lighting attacks.

Weaving and dodging, taking out any Kaminari samurai unfortunate enough to get in his path, Nisei managed to stay one step ahead of the lightning attacks. Damn it, where were those Kumo bastards? His ears were starting to hurt from the repeated thunder and his skin felt raw from the flashes of heat that were closing in on him, he had to get out of their line of sight.

Fishing in his hip pouch, the Jōnin dropped several smoke bombs obscuring his immediate surroundings, and then switched places with hapless Kaminari samurai. A powerful lightning blast struck the smoke filled area, but by the time the cloud cleared Nisei was long gone and already under cover in a position that could not be easily seen.

Breathing heavily, Nisei decided that had been too close for comfort. Still, he had a job to do and lowering his hands; he spread his family out, forgoing the 'charka dot' image for stealth. Nisei watched as they spread out unobtrusively, in search of the Kumo ninja and then turned his attention back to the immediate battle bothered that he had lost sight of both Naruto and Ino.

Of course he knew they were still out there and that they could handle themselves, but he would have preferred to see them.

Shaking it off he focused on the battle, studying the flow while wondering were Lee's team was. For that matter, Nisei felt that something about this battle was wrong, but what exactly he couldn't place. A few moments later, his family reported with the location of the Kumo ninja and he grimaced.

Two were closing in on Naruto who was occupied dodging lighting strikes, while another was headed for Ino. Three were missing, Nisei presumed they had moved to confront Lee's team, and the last two were located near the lake directing the lightning. Reaching up he touched the radio, addressing first Naruto and then Ino before slinking away to deal with the two at the lake.

It took a while but soon enough he was in position, staring at the brightening silhouettes of his enemy. They seemed to be wearing a different kind of outfit, but their Kumo forehead protectors made it clear they were his targets. Now the question became how to take them out, if he used any of the modified techniques to cover his Kikaichū one of them would manage to survive.

He wasn't even sure he had enough chakra **to** use one of the more powerful moves and disguise it, but he couldn't just use a move without trying to keep the appearance of 'chakra dots' in place. If they got a hint that he was actually an Aburame then his combat effectiveness would be halved. A second later, he didn't have to debate since he was forced into action as one of the ninja threw a kunai wreathed in lightning high into the air and its trajectory brought it down amid the battling samurai with a flash of lightning.

Hands spreading out and then snapping forward, Nisei hurled two spiraling groups of merging chakra dots at the enemy. The ninja furthest away managed to move in time, but the other didn't have such luck and fell victim to the attack. Twisting his hand, Nisei guided the chakra spear upward, carrying the impaled man high overhead, where the spear shattered before reforming into a sphere of chakra that trapped him inside.

The other hand twisted and the chakra dots exploded in a brilliant shower, while Nisei broke cover to avoid the incoming lighting attack. Slipping along the frozen lake, trying to come to a stop, Nisei flung a hand out, trying to catch the Kumo ninja with a whip of chakra dots. Missing that he mentally reached out to the glowing Kikaichū overhead and had them come raining down as glowing hail stones.

A lighting dragon forced Nisei to dodge, leaving a Kikaichū clone behind –one that promptly exploded into chakra dots-. Slipping to another halt Nisei hurled several kunai at the ninja, which they easily avoided while countering with yet another lightning dragon. Nisei managed another dodge, though it cost him even more Kikai and as he launched into his next offensive, he realized that it was only a matter of time before the Kumo ninja got the best of him.

Dodging an unexpected kunai Nisei prepared to unleash one of his higher-level moves, when he felt several sharp stabs from behind which prompted a hasty Kawarimi. Clear of the unexpected attack, Nisei stumbled and then collapsed with the left side of his body completely numb. It didn't take a genius to realize that his enemy had charged that weapon so that he could later scatter a series of lightning needles from it.

Using his unaffected arm Nisei pushed up his body into an awkward kneeling position and spread his fingers sending the unaffected Kikai out so they would launch a series of attacks at his enemy. The Kumo ninja stumbled and reeled from the blows as wave after wave of the Kikai slammed into him, leaving him stooped shouldered while the insects coalesced into a large cloud and struck him down.

Unfortunately, what they struck exploded into a bolt of lightning revealing it to be a Rai Bunshin. Swearing audibly, Nisei stumbled to his feet and began eying his immediate surroundings. Wherever the enemy had gotten to, he didn't think they were simply gloating in private or scared, they had him out matched and they both knew it.

His thoughts were distracted from the immediate process of spotting his enemy by the sudden high-pitch crackling of his radio. Flinching almost instinctively away from the sound, Nisei reached up to cup his ear, attention now split between it and staying alive. That's why it took him a few minutes to catch what Lee's garbled voice was saying, but when he did his world came to a halt.

"Nisei…mush…lost…Mozu…get…can you…am…Nisei?"

Nisei faltered in his attack, mind frantically putting together the scrambled static of the call. Suddenly his earlier feeling of the battle feeling wrong made sense, this whole fight had been a trap; show weakness to lure the enemy in and crush him with overwhelming force. How could he have been so stupid, and now thanks to his shortsightedness their forces faced annihilation, it would almost be pointless to order the retreat but he still did so.

He got as far as selecting the channel for Naruto when his enemy interrupted him.

"You should know better than to stop fighting!" the Kumo ninja exclaimed, hands crackling with lightning before pressing them together, filling the air with a raising pitch.

"Naruto, retreat! Get as many as you can out of here!" Nisei shouted, scattering every Kikaichū he could.

* * *

It is a fact that Ino is a kenjutsu master; she had trained with unbelievable tenacity for a little over three years to achieve her level. Indeed, it was only recently that she had started to relax. Therefore, against her the samurai's flurry of attacks was exaggerated and inefficient.

The samurai leapt and spun, chopping and thrusting, but Raijin-ken moved a fraction of an inch to parry and her dodges completed without seeming to move. A sudden shift in weight and her counter-thrust struck with devastating simplicity. No sooner had that samurai collapsed from the thrust and Raijin-ken slid free than it angled left and then right, then up just enough to send the descending katana of the next samurai slipping off to the side.

He stumbled and recovered while slashing to the side, only for Ino to deflect it and send it high off the mark. A simple twist of the wrist and she dropped the samurai with a sharp thrust to the chest. Ino felt a moment of frustration with the fact that she was limited to a thrust as a killing blow.

Her frustration was short lived however; a sudden and horrible noise caused Ino to snap her head around just in time to spot Naruto in mid-air as a bird of lightning swooped down at him. Unfortunately, she didn't get to see if he managed to survive as a quick motion alerted her to an attack. Her eyes caught the motion, followed it as the small object hit the ground, and ended up tracking a…bouncing ball?

Whether it was instinct or just an adrenaline-fueled reaction, Ino managed a Kawarimi with a nearby Kaminari samurai and put as much distance between them as she could. A second later, she hit the ground as the ball exploded leaving her with ringing ears and a searing pain in her thigh.

Panting, she leveraged her body up wincing as her leg moved. Twisting back, Ino tentatively touched the wound and had to bite back her scream. Breathing heavily, she began probing the wound before letting her hand touch her waist confirming another wound there as well.

The crackling sound of lightning cleared her mind from the pain and with a grunt rolled aside as a corkscrewed blade of lightning plunged into the ground where her head had just been. Eyes widening she scrambled to a crouch, trying to stand before collapsing back to her knee, staring at this new development.

Since when did Kumo have lightning blades?

"Like my weapon?" the Kumo ninja said, turning toward her as he pulled the sword with its twisted lightening blade free "We learned a lot from your little toy there."

Ino grunting lunged, her leg and waist screaming in protest, but she didn't have the option of sitting around. The Kumo ninja held his ground and parried her thrust, his free hand slamming into her chin and knocking her over. Using the momentum Ino rolled into another crouch, unable to stop the scream that escaped her that time.

"Keep moving around like that and you'll just make those wounds worse," the Kumo ninja offered conversationally, approaching slowly.

"Heh, what the hell was that thing?" Ino asked thickly, clutching her sword tighter and mind racing.

"A last request? Well, I call it a hand bomb, and when it goes off, all sorts of nasty surprises come out. I'm impressed you didn't get hurt worse."

"I'm just full of surprises." Ino said, free hand flashing through a hand seal before touching the ground. With a rippling effect similar to a stone hitting water, the ground undulated before the Kumo ninja sank with a cry of surprise up to his waist. Removing her hand Ino smirked, forming another seal and touching the ground yet again turning it solid once more.

That done, Ino focused on the serious threat of her wounds. Whatever his 'nasty surprises' were, she couldn't deal with them at the moment, he'd only stay distracted by that low rank Ninjutsu for a few minutes at most. Concentrating chakra to her hand, dark green in nature, Ino touched her thigh allowing the Fujimi no Jutsu to do its job.

The wound numbed, she moved her hand up to her waist numbing it as well. That was about as far as she got before dodging a crackling kunai. Skidding to a stop, Ino lifted her sword in time to deflect the furious blow from the now free Kumo ninja while stumbling back from the force of it.

The Kumo ninja wasted no time in following after her, his slices powerful enough to send Ino skidding back after each block. But, she realized one detail that he apparently didn't, this idiot simply didn't know how to use his lightning blade and he was anything but a kenjutsu user. Ino grunted as she blocked yet another slash and made her first serious counter attack, going for his legs which prompted him to jump and flip over her.

Ino pivoted, Raijin-ken thrusting out, piercing through the hilt of his lightning sword. The resulting explosion of lightning and debris knocked Ino off her feet, but she managed to roll to her feet, breathing heavily. The Kumo ninja had not been so fortunate, he was struggling to get back up but his hands were a bleeding mess.

Hefting her blade, Ino eyed the ninja sourly, preparing to finish this when a sound reached her over the battle. The sound of a scream, high and raw, accompanied by the sound of crackling lightning and her head turned. Through a gap between Samurai, her eyes widened in horror as she saw Naruto, wrapped in a field of lightning, screaming as his body convulsed.

Whatever thoughts about finishing her fight were forgotten, indeed, Ino didn't even realize that she had started running toward him.

* * *

Catching the hands of the samurai, Naruto altered the course of the downward chop to the side and sent them flying with a front kick. A quick double-step backwards let him avoid a stab from another samurai and drop an elbow on their neck. The body falling limply to the ground gave Naruto a moment to catch his breath, leaving him temporarily out of the fight.

Glancing around, Naruto realized that neither Ino nor Nisei were in view, and that made his stomach clench. Pushing that aside he took in the samurai, idly wondering at why the numbers seemed off. Eyes widening he began studying the numbers in earnest, this wasn't right there should have been more Kaminari samurai.

A moment later Naruto spun around, Nisei's warning about two ninja echoing in his ear. He didn't find anything out of the ordinary, at least for a battlefield: looking skyward reassured that they weren't coming from overhead. Which meant...looking down, he jumped, his feet leaving the ground just as a ninja emerged from the ground, hands clutching at the soles of his sandals.

Reaching the peak of his jump, Naruto drew a kunai, preparing for a counter attack when he heard a horrible noise from over head. Looking up startled Naruto found a large bird made of lightning, wings swept back, and descending beak first toward him. A hastily created Kage Bunshin pulled him out of its path at the last second, leaving the bird to impact with the Kage Bunshin in a flash of lightning.

Landing in a crouch, Naruto kicked a foot out to stop his skid along the snow, throwing the kunai at his first attacker as the second pressed their hands to the ground and sent an enormous triangular bolt of lightning at him. Eyes widening, Naruto formed a seal and unleashed a Fūton: Byōbu to counter, skidding back from the resulting explosion.

Noticing through the dancing dots in his vision that both enemies were almost side by side, he unleashed a _Fūton: Kazeryudan no Jutsu_. The wind dragon rushed into battle without hesitation, spiraling and weaving its way toward the two Kumo ninja. One reacted quicker than the other, and formed a long string of hand seals before unleashing a_ 'Suiton: Suiryuudan'_.

Naruto almost laughed; wind could cut right through water, when the other Kumo ninja reached a crackling hand out to touch the body of the charging water dragon. His eyes widened a split second before the two dragons connected. Spiraling and twisting around each other, raising high into the air before they exploded, creating a rain of shocking water.

Naruto swore under his breath, wincing from the electrically charged water as samurai dropped in twitching heaps. They were reacting to his move with a perfect counter every time, not that he was surprised; over the last few battles he had encountered others who had done the same thing. It didn't mean he was happy, just used to the fact that there were Kumo ninja training specifically to take him out.

Unfortunately for them, they still had things to learn: If they knew and had planned for the most common techniques he used, then he would simply use his uncommon ones. Dropping into a spinning leg-sweep, he kicked up snow while forming a new hand seal. A _'Fūton: Reppushou_' sent the scattered snow flying at his enemies and another set of hand seals pulled the flying snow together into spinning shuriken.

The two Kumo ninja dodged hastily, caught by surprise, which was what Naruto wanted. Targeting the closest one he formed the tiger seal and then exhaled sharply, unleashing the giant ball of flame of a _Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu_ forcing them on the defensive. The ground gave a jerk and his eyes widened in surprise, turning to stare at the Kumo ninja who was apparently drawing the ground –and hence Naruto- toward him.

A blast of wind from beneath his feet sent Naruto airborne, while he formed several Kage Bunshin. Grasping the wrist of two of them, he forced his body into a spin, hurling one and then the other at his enemy. The other Kage Bunshin mimicked his attack, hurling others forward and when only one was left, Naruto laced his hands together so that it could push off in its own attack.

Landing, Naruto watched as the Kage Bunshin exploded in an attempt at killing that particular Kumo ninja. His attention shifted to the sound of crackling lighting and he pivoted, throwing his body to the side in an attempt at avoiding several kunai wreathed in lightning. Hitting the ground with a sloppy shoulder roll, a portion of his cloak shredded, Naruto fired off his own kunai each coated with wind chakra and when the enemy dodged, tried hitting them with the _Kanashibari no Jutsu_.

Scrambling to his feet, Naruto turned in time to find another lightning bird bearing down on him. Darting left with a Shunshin at the last moment, he let it connect with the _Yuki Bunshin_ he left behind, and then charged forward dodging and weaving through a barrage from the retreating Kumo ninja. Closing the distance, Naruto ducked beneath a kunai his arm swept back before slamming a Rasengan into the enemies chest.

The enemy flew backward spinning and Naruto pivoted to find the first ninja. With a running jump, he flipped before dropping toward them. His feet should have hit their head, snapping their neck, but instead of the expected impact the Kumo ninja exploded into lightning. Naruto landed heavily the lightning wrapping around his body; bolts passing through his body, muscles convulsing as he screamed his throat raw before collapsing in a lifeless heap.

If he had been any other ninja, any other human, that would have been the end.

Uzumaki Naruto however, was not any other ninja. He was as far removed from being like normal ninja as normal ninja were from being grasshoppers. Even as his body hit the ground unnatural warmth was flooding through his body, healing his lungs and repairing his heart. A malevolent power was forcing life back into his limbs, guided on the subconscious level by a dark will.

Bleeding eyes registered a wounded Ino, blood seeping from her side, rushing toward him. They flicked past her, registering an enemy bearing down on her from behind. Closing for the kill. Suddenly the dark will was overridden by Naruto's own; his body exploded into action, hurtling in a red blur past Ino and slammed a fist into the enemies face snapping his head backwards.

His other hand whipped around, leaving searing slashes across their torso from elongated fingernails. That threat handled, the heat began to ebb and he turned back to Ino, who was just beginning to change directions. Forcing the Kyūbi chakra to less overwhelmingly noticeable levels, he took in the battle around him: more Kumo ninja were already closing in and the Hi no Kuni samurai were almost obliterated.

This battle was lost and Naruto could understand and see it so clearly that he almost flinched from the knowledge.

"Get to the lake!" Naruto shouted, or tried, his voice sounded raw but the samurai heard and followed the order. Ino was almost at his side, and it took her a moment to change momentum, but soon they were both racing toward the lake. Naruto covered the retreat with Kage Bunshin, praying that he could get them out of this mess.

Near the lakes edge, several feet away, an explosion filled the early morning. The shockwave washed over him, the ground rumbling and ears ring, but Naruto didn't pay it any attention. He had other, bigger things on his mind, Ino with her bleeding for one and getting as many people out of this mess as he could for two.

When the lightning started raining down around and behind him, he didn't flinch. He simply sent more Kage Bunshin into the world before asking Ino a very important question. "Can you break the ice on the lake even more?" At her faint agreement, he raised his voice for the surviving samurai "Get as close together as you can on that lake!"

Hands coming up, he formed a series of hand seals and then unleashed the _Kirigakure no Jutsu_ obscuring the fleeing group from view. It wouldn't last long, but it would buy them time for what he had planned for their escape, though he just hopped Gamajun could forgive him later. Smearing blood from his mouth, his hands began forming another string of hand-seals as he bullied his chakra to mold properly, hitting the ice a half step behind Ino.

Ino skidded as she dropped to a knee, blood trailing behind her, hand slamming hard on the ice. The cracks raced outward, joining the preexisting ones and widened wildly. Naruto followed up by dropping to a knee, gripping it with chakra, and smacked his own hand against the surface creating a circle with black lines around his hands.

One Kuchiyose no Jutsu later and everyone disappeared into the maw of a toad.

(SPACE)  
_Nami no Kuni, Region 1, Forward Konoha Military Command..._

:

:  
Nara Shikamaru had never wanted any kind of authority, though he usually ended up in such positions: his ambition in life amounted to nothing more than being an average ninja, with an average career, married to an average looking wife with average kids and eventually retiring. Despite the various shake ups that had happened over the years, this ambition had never changed.

Still, Asuma had selected him as his lieutenant and with the older man now assassinated Shikamaru had no choice. Besides, Shikamaru had the sneaking and depressing suspicion that he was the only one capable of untangling the numerous encoded strategies that Asuma had left behind. Not that it made things any easier, he still had to rearrange Konoha's forces and ensure that those under him actually followed his orders.

Apparently some of the older ninja were less than happy about taking orders from someone his age, or maybe it was just because it was someone that didn't have much of a reputation. Shikamaru mused about that for a half-second before shaking his head, it was just too bothersome to consider right then, he had other more pressing things to deal with. Namely the loss of Regions 6, 7,8, 9, and 10 to Kumo along with the many Konoha teams still MIA.

Shifting through the numerous piles of paper on his desk only confirmed what he had told Asuma weeks ago: They needed better communication between their regions. Sighing heavily, his head drooped, letting several pages fall back to the battered table beginning to realize why Asuma smoked so often. Twisting to face the high window, he squinted attempting to separate the slate clouds from the equally slate gray sky; difficult as it seemed at least he was able to take his mind off the trouble on his desk.

Letting out another deep breath, he turned back to the desk and paperwork, before stacking them up to study the map. Asuma had been in the middle of marking out the new defensive positions; Nishio, Chita and Hakusai were forming the north-east perimeter against Region 6 while Maebaru, Fukutsu, Kasugai and Miyawaka made up the south-eastern perimeter against Region 7 and 8.

Neither perimeter would give any time soon, but still it would be better when the real reinforcements arrived from Konoha. Tracing a finger along the north-eastern perimeter, he paused at Nishio, worried about if they would hold out until then. They were the most direct route into Region 5 from that direction, and while they were the best defended the numbers still weren't in their favor.

"Excuse me, Commander Nara-san." A feminine voice said, following a curt knock, which startled him out of his thoughts. Looking up he blinked, staring at the average looking, dark haired woman, standing in the entrance to his makeshift office. Noticing his attention, she smiled and entered the office closing the door behind her. "I'm pleased to meet you."

"Yeah," Shikamaru managed, leaning back slightly "do we know each other?"

"Oh, uh, I guess I forgot to introduce myself." the woman said, before straightening "I am Tōu, formerly of the Twelve Guardians and my current assignment is the head of the Special Reconnaissance Division of ANBU."

"Tōu?" Shikamaru repeated, trying to remember if Asuma had ever mentioned that name before, but the only one he could remember was a Fire Temple Priest named Chiriku. Of course, that didn't mean much, Asuma had never liked talking about that time in his life.

"I was junior to Asuma-sempai within the Twelve Guardians," Tōu said, pausing before shrugging "we both left at roughly the same time following a certain event that split the group."

"I see." Shikamaru said, it certainly sounded right, that was pretty much how Asuma had side-stepped questions about his past. It made Shikamaru curious against his will, about what that event was. "You mentioned Special Reconnaissance?"

"Yes. Once I left the Twelve Guardians and returned to Konoha, I entered ANBU and worked my way into command." Tōu explained, relaxing "I had hoped to work with Asuma-sempai once more, hence why I volunteered to join your reinforcements."

"Ah. You know?"

"Yes," Tōu said, her tone softening "I- I am saddened by his passing. Do we have any leads as to who..."

"No." Shikamaru said, an alarm bell going off in his head. It was possible that someone had leaked details, but Shikamaru had issued orders to keep the assassination quiet. "Do you have the orders?"

"Yes." Tōu added, offering him a sealed manila envelope. "Ten teams, forty all total. Three ANBU teams."

"Great," Shikamaru muttered, reading the papers within: Standard transfer orders, and the numbers certainly matched what she had told him, so there was no warning bells going off there. "Besides the ANBU teams, do the others have any experience?"

"Of course, the majority were pulled from the Oto-Konoha conflict, while the rest are from the Western and Eastern borders." She paused, her eyes looking uneasy "Also, on the way in we made contact with a Kiri ninja. He's under orders from the Mizukage to speak with our commanding officer."

"Fine," Shikamaru sighed, filing that mention of Kiri to the back of his mind while flipping through the orders. "Assemble the teams, we'll be sending them out to the two perimeters ASAP. The most experienced are heading for Nishio, it's the one most directly threatened. After that I'll speak with the Kiri ninja."

"I take it I'm your lieutenant?" Tōu asked, almost sounding amused.

"You said you've been working in the ANBU, and as a member of the Twelve Ninja Guardians correct?" Shikamaru asked, not looking up from the bothersome orders. He needed to bull through it so he could plan accordingly. At her confirmation he glanced up at her, holding up a sheet of paper "Well that means you're used to handling group movements and I need a lieutenant that can help out with that."

"You are a clever one," Tōu said in a friendly fashion "No wonder Asuma-sempai chose you as his lieutenant."

"Bothersome." Shikamaru muttered, turning his attention back to the paperwork, which Tōu correctly took as a dismissal. After the door closed he breathed out heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose, wondering if he had made the right decision. After all, there was really nothing to justify it but he didn't trust her: at least, not enough to turn her lose in the field.

* * *

AN:

Playing with a formatting change, where any technique that isn't used regularly is italicized. Let me know what you think about that change.


	36. Chapter 34: Malignancy

**Naruto**: Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 34  
_-Malignancy-  
_By Geor-sama

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Region 6 Base Fuuyou…

:

Tsuzumi listened to the report absently, his mind occupied with other details. That was a benefit to a report given by Hanabi since unlike most ninja, even the experienced ones; she gave very concise and brief reports: something that he had admitted to her that he viewed it as a virtue.

She had grown especially skilled at giving them as well, improving a little more with each report given. She'd make a fine Chūnin he knew that without a doubt. Nodding as she wrapped up the report, he debated about promoting her now or waiting until they reached Region 5: they were in the midst of a preparation for a massive fall back.

Not for the first time, Tsuzumi swore at the situation, nobody could have expected this sudden upset.

Noting Hanabi coming to the end of her report, he took a steadying breath, a leaden feeling settling in his stomach. Kumo scouting parties were getting closer, they've had they would have to leave immediately. As she finally fell silent, staring at him expectantly, he shook his head tiredly "I guess it's confirmed then."

"What's confirmed?" Hanabi asked her tone curious.

"That Team Naruto and Team Lee were lost." Tsuzumi said, reaching over to shuffle through the few papers left on his desk. He tuned out the glare Hanabi fixed on him, he had fully expected her to react like that. Finding the paper he sought, he pulled it forward and scribbled his signature in several spots "In light of the situation, I can't delay this any further."

"Delay what?"

"This," Tsuzumi said, standing as he shrugged out of his flak vest. Handing it over to a startled Hanabi he cleared his throat "The Hokage gives a much more impressive speech, but this is the best I can manage right now. You have shown excellent judgment and leadership, forming you're three ninja into a cohesive unit. Congratulations on being promoted to the rank of Chūnin, Uzumaki Hanabi."

"Uhh, thank you." Hanabi managed, before slipping into the oversized vest.

"Now then," Tsuzumi said, fighting a grin "get your team together we're leaving in thirty minutes."

"Yes sir." Hanabi said, head inclining a fraction of an inch before pivoting smartly on her heel and striding out of the office.

Gathering the rest of his papers, Tsuzumi debated about the odds of this war. Neither Team Naruto or Team Lee were the sort of ninja you could take out without major effort, which was probably why Kumo was taking a slow approach. Still, those two teams were gone and with them the major offensive force for the region.

A knock at the door disturbed his thoughts and Tsuzumi looked up calling for them to enter. The grim faced samurai that entered struck him as oddly too young despite being older than Hanabi, but he shook it off. "Yes?"

"Major Okazaki sent me to inform you that we've started the withdrawal early," the samurai said, "we received an encoded message from the Forward Military Base, Region 10 fell last night, as well as most of Region 7. We've lost contact with Regions 8 and 9."

"I...Impossible," Tsuzumi said stunned, his mind racing through the implications. Just how badly were they outnumbered? "Is he sure it's a legitimate message?"

"Yes sir." The samurai said, "Okazaki-sama was equally surprised, but there is no doubt about its origin."

"I see, " Tsuzumi said, his mind flashing to the encroaching teams of enemy ninja. "We have no choice, but to leave now."

"Yes."

Tsuzumi nodded absently, dismissing the samurai and then looked around the office absently. He had all of his papers and details, but it was an old habit, they were going to be overrun soon. Those teams Hanabi had spotted, they weren't just scouts, they were a preliminary invasion force, no doubt the forces following in their wake were more than enough to stomp this base out.

Satisfied that nothing would place them in jeopardy, he rolled up the papers he was holding and slipped them into one of his pockets. His personal affects were already packed and ready to go and all he would have to do was pick them up. But first he was going to plant a little surprise for the Kumo ninja that would be coming here.

Producing blast notes and flash notes, he went about booby-trapping the room. To top the trap off, he left a folder on his desk, in just the right way that it would appear to be forgotten in his haste. Satisfied he slipped out of the room and weaved through the rushing samurai, aware of the intangible countdown they were under.

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Nami no Kuni, Region 15, Kumo Military Commander Center, Karuimoto...

:

Karuimoto was a moderately sized city with a flat plain to the East, mountains to the North and East, and a river(currently frozen) that snaked South to West. As capitals went it was not the most awe inspiring, but its location allowed for a centralized government while offering better security than any other village in the inter-linked islands of Nami no Kuni. Oddly enough, it was also considered the first failure of the invasion: while Kumo had captured the capital quickly and without bloodshed, they had failed to secure all of the Regents.

Leaving them to deal with Konoha, who despite being outnumbered, were tenacious in holding their ground.

Azai Chokei, Commander for the Kumo Ninja in Nami no Kuni, knew this to be something they weren't prepared to deal with. For every island they took from Konoha they were wasting men and resources that were actually supposed to be spent against their actual target. When the new Raikage had announced this operation Chokei had insisted on being put in command, because he had expected something like this, but had been rebuffed.

Now Chokei was in command and was dealing with the fallout of the botched invasion, while the Raikage ranted about expectations. This whole invasion, along with the alliance with Oto, was for the express purpose to move their forces into place for an attack on Kiri. As rash as the current Raikage was, even he had been more than aware for the need of a sound strategy: Mizu no Kuni was an island nation and their biggest advantage was their isolation from the other nations.

Any navy that sailed against Mizu no Kuni would be sunk before it became a serious threat, even island hopping was a poor tactic. Yet it was these very strengths that Kumo was plotting to turn against them: Their isolation meant they had no allies (the Kumo/Oto alliance was to stop the outside chance of Konoha joining with Kiri), and while any _single_ fleet would be sunk

, Kumo was trying to position to attack with _three_ fleets, from three different directions.

That was why controlling Nami was so important, they were supposed to be the advanced fleet. The secondary fleet was supposed to follow in their wake from the Kaminari satellite country Ikazuchi no Kuni, and the Main fleet from Kaminari would arrive after them.

Sighing heavily, Chokei nodded at a passing team of ninja and then entered the main office. It was a hive of activity, and pushing his way through

the crowd came the short, thickset man married to his sister Nao. "Lieutenant Jonouchi, I see things are busy as ever."

"New information," Jonouchi said shrugging "The Konoha forces in Region 6 are falling back."

"That's...unexpected." Chokei admitted, as they turned down a hallway heading for his office. "Do we have an idea why they've decided to retreat for once instead of standing their ground?"

"Only a theory," Jonouchi said "The Battle of Lake Tenjin has to be the cause. Prior to that they were hampering our advance into that region, and even now we're still short on the manpower needed to take that region from what few forces remain."

"I see," Chokei said, nodding in agreement before sighing "of course this means that they're going to deeply entrench themselves in Region 5."

"No doubt."

"So, have we been able to confirm their status?"

"Unfortunately, no." Jonouchi said, shaking his head "We've confirmed at least three dead. But other reports are sketchy at best, and worse they all seemed to have disappeared. A search of the Lake turned up nothing."

"It's only a matter of time before they turn back up." Chokei said as they entered his office "What's our status in the other Regions?"

"We've secured Region 7 through 10. The Konoha forces are either dead, or our prisoners, so we now control 60% of the Regions. Kumo has promised to send our reserves, though the Raikage is less than pleased."

"Of course he is." Chokei muttered, shaking his head. The man was the most powerful ninja in the village, brother to the strongest of Jinchūriki, but he had somewhat unrealistic expectations on how quickly certain things should be done. Crossing to his desk, Chokei sat down heavily eying the various reports awaiting him. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes. Toki Hisanobu has requested a moment of your time."

"Ah," Chokei said, glancing up at his brother-in-law, lifting a folder "give me a moment to go over these reports and then send him in."

"Yes sir."

"Oh and Jonouchi," Chokei called as the man turned away "don't forget your anniversary is next week."

"Ha! Thanks for reminding me, Nao-chan would have come here just to kick my ass if I forgot." The man said with a grin before exiting, closing the door behind him.

Chuckling as well, Chokei turned his attention to the reports on his desk: Troop movements, medical updates on ninja, several background reports on the men taking over their newly captured regions and a notice that the Jinchūriki were delayed in arriving due to a surprise attack by an unknown party. Chokei paid particular interest to that, though the details were sparse, it was still interesting.

He'd been hearing rumors about a group going after Jinchūriki, but until this rumors were all they had been. Chokei wondered why they would be going after such powerful weapons, outside of the obvious, and more importantly he wondered when they would try again. Shaking his head he resigned himself to fact that Nii Yugito had been delayed.

"Azai-sama."

"Toki-san." Chokei returned not looking up, while hiding his irritation at discourteous lack of knocking. Making it a point to finish the report, he looked up just as the Commander of Region 14 sat down across from him. "I assume you have a reason for this visit?"

"I merely stopped by to see what your scouts have reported." Toki said in his rough, peasant voice "I know that we'll have to move soon to assault the remaining Konoha forces in Region 6 and-"

"Oh, that." Chokei said, his tone so off-hand that it brought the other man up short. Seeing this, he smiled leaning back in his chair explaining. At the incredulous look Toki had, Chokei shrugged before adding "So whenever you wish to assume command of that region is fine with me. I can shift a few extra spare forces to your command until our reserves arrive."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Chokei nodded, before sitting forward "the only thing you need to be aware of is that we have an A-Rank Level Threat, one borderline S-Rank Level Threat and a solid S-Rank Level Threat missing in that Region. All our efforts in locating them have been fruitless, so be prepared."

"Of course." Toki said his tone dripping with disdain "though I strongly urge you to reconsider these threat ratings. As I've said all along, neither Uzumaki nor Rock were of S-Rank Level."

"Really?" Chokei asked, arching an eyebrow almost chuckling "Uzumaki-sama's confirmed kills stands at 299 samurai with 15 Kumo ninja, many killed in very macabre ways and missing forehead protectors, seven of them ANBU and none below Chūnin. Rock-sama's confirmed numbers stand at 301 samurai with 12 ninja, four ANBU and none below Chūnin as well."

"The numbers are impressive, but hardly awe-inspiring." Toki said, shaking his head "I wouldn't classify either as a suicidal risk."

"I see." Chokei said, mentally wondering at what the man _would_ classify as a suicidal risk. The numbers were somewhat low, Chokei knew that, but he also took into account that they were gained during battles. That meant both young men had been facing more than one opponent, many Jōnin, on a regular basis in each conflict.

Compared to other ninja in the same circumstance, they were far ahead of the others. Yamanaka and Nisei were tied for the third space behind the others and the rest had been barely worth mentioning.

"Is there anything else?" Toki asked his tone thick with an undercurrent of disdain.

"Nothing." Chokei said after a moment, shaking his head "You and the forces can assume control of Region 6 at any time."

"Excellent." Toki said, a malicious smirk on his face, long bony fingers tapping together.

* * *

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Suna, Kazkage's Office...

:

The Kazekage knew the nature of silence, it was hard to live this long and not learn the different types. The most common of these was comfortable silence, oppressive silence and uneasy silence. Sitting behind his desk, staring at the freshly returned ANBU team, he knew this to be the uneasy kind of silence, which told him all he needed to know really.

Leaning back as his chair creaked, sound ominous in the silence that engulfed his office. "Well?"

"As per orders, we took up an observational location of the capital Akirunōfu. There was nothing out of the ordinary, Akirunōfu ran and operated like any other occupied city. Admittedly it is odd to see Tsuchi no Kuni forces occupying a city, even odder with Iwa forces, considering they tend to kill or enslave their enemies."

"Captain, I'm more interested in what happened to the city." The Kazekage interrupted, eyes narrowing. He was pleased to see that having taken sole authority, his soldiers were more cowed toward him.

"Yes sir, sorry." The Captain said, shifting his weight "our observations failed to spot any weapon or person approaching the city. One minute the city was perfectly fine and the next there was a pillar of light. After that we received shockwaves, ground tremors, and a mushroom cloud. It was...frightening, it just...I have **_never_** seen such a thing."

"Impressive. Did you search the ruins?"

"There were no ruins." The ANBU Captain said shaking his head "The crater...whatever the attack was it boiled the oasis water that surrounded Akirunōfu away and removed any trace of the man-made island. The surrounding sand was blasted to glass and the air was thick with simmering heat, almost made it impossible to take a full breath."

"I see." The Kazekage said, disquieted beyond words. An incomplete weapon that could produce such devastation, it was nearly inconceivable and made him wonder how they could achieve such power without being discovered. There were no ninjutsu he knew of that came even close to producing such desolation, he couldn't remember if any of the previous Kazekage had mentioned anything similar either.

"Is there anything else sir?" the ANBU Captain asked, pulling the Kazekage's attention back to him.

"No, not unless you have anything else to report to me." The Kazekage offered, dismissing them. Alone, he sat forward lacing his fingers together to stare ahead at the wall map. There was no other way to look at this other than the fact that he had been maneuvered into having no other recourse than to accept the alliance with Akatsuki. Iwa would become crazed after this and they would swarm into the country with overwhelming force, without this weapon and an alliance with Akatsuki Suna would be lost in a matter of days.

Damn it.

"I trust your satisfied with the demonstration."

The Kazekage glanced at the emotionless female Akatsuki agent standing in the corner of his office, not even bothering to wonder how she had managed to get in unnoticed. Closing his eyes, he let out a near silent breath "What do you want?"

"The research that your so called Puppet Brigade performed during the Second Shinobi War."

"You want the Kishō Tensei research." The Kazekage said softly, frowning in thought. Opening his eyes, he turned his attention to her once more. "Very well, I will have it prepared for you."

"We also require your elder Chiyo."

"Fine." The Kazekage bit out, angrily. "Anything else?"

"Nothing." the woman said, beginning to dissolve into paper "once we receive our payment, you may pick another target."

* * *

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Somehwere near the Hi no Kuni and Oto border...

:

"Are you sure about this?" Suigetsu asked, shifting the body slung over his body into a better position. Karin didn't seem to hear him, but he was used to that by now, she was focused on her goal of getting revenge on her brother. Which it was strange since Naruto seemed like a pretty ok guy to him, but then Suigetsu wasn't going to try to dissuade her from the goal as he was only involved for the chance to get Zabuza's sword.

Still, he didn't want to have Oto head hunters after them. Huffing he came to an abrupt stop before slinging the unconscious, and badly withered woman, to the ground. Karin continued walking oblivious to his actions, but he mentally shrugged and retrieved one of his water bottles chugging it down. A few minutes later he became aware of a deadly intent washing over him, and lowering his water bottle found Karin standing across from him glowering.

"What are you doing?" Karin snapped.

"I'm waiting for you." Suigetsu shot back with a snort, putting his water bottle up. "Look, are you really sure we should be doing this? I mean, even if Oto is in chaos that doesn't mean that Orochimaru isn't still around."

"Since when did you become so loyal?" Karin asked waspishly, arms crossing.

"I'm not, I could care less about that bastard. But I'm not anxious to deal with head hunters, especially when crossing semi-hostile territory to go look for _your_ brother who is apparently a big enough threat that he not only scared the piss out of Orochimaru's pet snake but nobody in Oto wants to face him."

"First, he's a half-brother." Karin said, scowling at him before pushing her glasses up her nose "secondly compared to the chaos filling Oto right now our departure won't even register."

"Yesh, and I thought you had it bad for that snake Orochimaru." Suigetsu muttered, staring at the young woman with disbelief.

"Orochimaru-sama is dead." Karin said, her tone distant. At his disbelieving look she expanded "I'm one of the best Sensor Specialists in the Elemental Nations. Once I heard that the village was attacked, I stretched my abilities to the limits, and Orochimaru is gone."

"But isn't there like a limit on the range on that sort of crap?" Suigetsu asked, shocked and slightly giddy at the mere concept. With Orochimaru gone, he was free to do as he damn well pleased from now on.

"Normally. But there are special circumstances, if you're skilled enough and are familiar enough with a person's chakra, you can usually locate them over otherwise impossible distances." Karin explained, shrugging, her face darkening "Orochimaru-sama is dead."

"Well, then," Suigetsu said gesturing at the unconscious Uchiha on the ground "why the hell are we still dragging her ass around? We could just leave her here and go right for your brother."

"I may have no loyalty to that village, but Orochimaru not only saved me but gave me a life as well as a purpose..." Karin said her tone tight "He assigned me this mission, and even if I have no intent to ever return to that village now that he's gone I will complete this mission."

"Ok," Suigetsu said throwing his hands up in annoyance "so how the hell are you going to manage that? Can you tell me that? Because I'm honestly getting tired of just wandering around in the damn countryside!"

"Gah, must you be so annoying?" Karin shot back before sniffing disdainfully "Besides, we're not just wandering around. We're on the way to a man that will safe guard the body until Oto sends someone to retrieve it."

"You trust this wacko?"

"Shinnō is a mercenary doctor, that has in the past shared several forbidden Tensei techniques with Orochimaru-sama." Karin answered "He is also in severe debt to Orochimaru-sama, so he'll be more than happy to do this."

"Fine." Suigetsu muttered and scooped his burden up from the ground, slinging the Uchiha over his shoulder once more. "Let's get this shit over with so I can find Zabuz-senpai's sword."

Karin snorted, but remained silent taking the lead once more, which Suigetsu decided was not an entirely bad thing as it gave him something to watch. Thanks to the view and her hot pants, he could easily forget about how much of a total bitch she could be. Not that he was about to let her know what he was thinking or staring at, he had enough experience with her to know that she'd make his life hell if she knew.

"Are you staring at my ass?" Karin asked, not breaking stride.

"As if I'd stare at that." Suigetsu shot back, startled at her use of 'ass', but not feeling the least bit embarrassed about staring at it. Still, no way was he going to admit to it.

"Good." Karin said simply, but Suigetsu thought her hips took on a little more of a sway - oh crap, she was teasing him.

* * *

"Ugh, my head." Naruto groaned, eyes opening to stare at the murky blackness that obscured the ceiling. Sitting up with a grunt, he used a hand to support his weight. Taking in his surroundings Naruto was unsurprised to realize he was sitting in a puddle of water, in an underground maintenance tunnel, with leaky, rusty pipes.

Great, just what he wanted to wake up to.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto got to his feet and stretched. He could remember flashes of a battle but no details, not that it surprised him, since he rarely remembered exact details that put him in this damn tunnel. Deciding that standing around wouldn't accomplish anything he started down the seemingly endless hallway, listening to dripping water and his own breathing.

Sometimes he wondered why this damn place appeared this way; was it supposed to symbolize his mental state or maybe his soul? Ero-sennin had never really been able to offer a good reason, the best he could was that it was merely some sort of representation so he could safely interact with the Kyūbi without mental strain. Naruto felt this explained things well enough, especially when he entered the ill-lit cavernous room that housed the towering gates that kept the most dangerous creature in the world at bay.

"Ok you over grown bunny," Naruto said, coming to a stop a few feet away from the bars, staring at the dozing demon "what do you want?"

**_"I was having a perfectly good nap you rodent,"_** The deep, inhuman voice of the Kyūbi shot back. Shifting its head, the massive fox demon stared at him **_"I would eat you if I thought I wouldn't get parasites."_**

"Yak, yak, yak," Naruto said with a shrug "So why am I here?"

**_"Bah, how should I know?"_** the Kyūbi retorted, yawning, **_"I mean you did use some of My chakra."_**

"Why would I do that?"

**_"Obviously you were in over your head,"_** the Kyūbi said with a barking laugh **_"you should be grateful for My benevolence in loaning such a weak rodent as you My strength."_**

"Whatever, you flea bitten rabbit." Naruto shot back, rolling his eyes. As conversations with the Kyūbi went, this counted as friendly, which was a rare experience.

**_"I tell you a last time yellow rat, do not call Me that." _**The Kyūbi growled, baring its massive fangs.

"Rabbit." Naruto said with a vindictive smirk.

The Kyūbi suddenly exploded to its feet, boiling chakra flooding from between the bars of the prison causing the gate to groan ominously forcing Naruto to retreat with inhuman speed **_"I have strode the land, and cleaved stone from stone. Oceans have fled and mountains crumbled at My mere presence. I have made the moon bleed and scattered the ashes of nations to the nine corners of the world. When I am free, the seas will boil, the living will envy the dead and I promise that _**your**_ suffering will be so horrific that those few who survive My wrath shall whisper of it in terrified whimpers for all eternity!"_**

Naruto winced, backed all the way to the entrance of the chamber. One of these days, he would have to stop poking the damn fox with a proverbial stick. The chakra receding Naruto stepped back into the room, ignoring the ankle deep water, preparing for a barb of his own -

:

:

Naruto rolled to the side, adopting a low crouch in one fluid motion, eyes darting around. It took him a minute to reorient and discover that he was inside a stomach, with a surprised samurai staring at him. His mind was beginning to fill in the blanks, Naruto relaxed his posture so he was half-kneeling, his right arm throbbing.

Lifting his arm, he gave it a brief scan; it looked normal but it seemed like there was something off. Flexing his hand, he frowned it didn't feel like anything was wrong, giving it a quick shake he turned his attention toward the samurai. The older man looked anxious, but he was simply watching Naruto as if he had expected a reaction like this.

"I feel like crap." Naruto finally said which earned him a grim smile from the samurai. "So, how are things?"

"Better than what it could have been." The samurai said, shifting his swords to crouch "We were being slaughtered, so being trapped in, whatever this is, is a better alternative. We lost most of the troops, due to a combination of fatal wounds and a shortage of medical attention, but we're holding steady at twenty-five now -"

"Ino!" Naruto shouted, bolting to his feet to look around franticly. He could remember a trail of blood as she skidded across the ice. Panic and dread had just started to set in when he heard his name shouted in return and spun around, just in time for Ino to pull him into a hug.

Naruto actually had to struggle for breath, but what did that matter since Ino was the one hugging him. He hugged back tightly, burying his face into the crook of her neck, savoring her scent, before they separated each looking a tad embarrassed. Eyes spotting a bandage on her thigh, he looked at her intently "Ino?"

Ino, as if sensing what he meant, touched the bandage explaining the situation. "I didn't want to waste what chakra I had on something like this. Not that it did much good, I saved as many as I could, but I'm not a fully trained medic..."

"Maybe," Naruto said, relief flooding through him, washing away his dread, "but you did more than enough."

"I guess so." Ino said, sounding less than convinced.

Naruto studied her for a moment, before realizing how much pressure she had to have been under while he was out. If this was one of those crappy books he or Ero-sennin wrote, he would be obligated to hug her and whisper comforting words. Naruto instead chose to employ a different tactic, one that had been his life-long companion. Humor. "If you want I could kiss that thigh better."

"Naruto." Ino said tiredly, glancing at him oddly.

"Yes?" Naruto asked, disappointed that his (admittedly weak) joke had went over like a lead balloon.

"As much as I appreciate that offer," Ino continued, flashing him a wicked grin "if your mouth is going to be _that_ far south, then it better be somewhere else."

It took a full three seconds before what Ino meant clicked and Naruto felt his eyes widening. He actually sputtered, that was the first time Ino had ever made such an overt suggestion. It left him unsure of if he should take her seriously or not, though her chuckling gave him a clue.

"Not too interrupt," the samurai said, clearing his throat "but we do have some important things to deal with at the moment."

"Right." Naruto said quickly, pleased to see Ino flushing as she remembered they weren't alone. Turning to face the samurai, Naruto began stretching his arms out "I take it you mean getting out of here and back to the base?"

"Yes, Uzumaki-sama." The samurai said, hesitating before arching an eyebrow "Speaking of 'here', where are we exactly? It looks like a stomach."

"Oh, it is." Naruto said, waving a hand absently as he did a few quick squats, "Every toad summoner has a stomach they can hop in- er hide out in."

"We're inside a frog?" Ino asked, startled.

"Toad." Naruto corrected absently, glancing at her as a thought occurred to him "Nisei isn't here is he?"

"After I did what I could for the wounded I looked around, but he's not here." Ino confirmed grimly.

"I'm not surprised." Naruto said quietly, shaking any thoughts about Nisei off. Naruto had no reason to worry about the other boy, Nisei was more than capable of handling things. Gathering chakra to his hand, Naruto let out a breath "Tell everyone to hold hands."

Ino and the samurai stared at him blankly but then quickly began spreading the word, leaving Naruto to touch the side of the stomach wall. It undulated oddly beneath his hand, but Naruto blocked out the unique and somewhat disgusting sensation, instead focusing on communicating with Gamajun. The toad was not happy, not by any stretch of the imagination, but he did as requested, starting toward the surface and Naruto quickly moved to the exit point grabbing the first hand that was free.

"Whatever you do, don't let go of each other!" Naruto shouted, bracing himself for the coming task. The floor and walls began to undulate, closing in, compressing them; Naruto felt the crush and push peripherally, all that mattered was the rapidly approaching opening. The trip through the esophagus seemed to last forever before Naruto grimaced, passing a hand through the mouth, grasping the snowy ground.

Muscles contracting, Naruto hauled his body through the opening, grimacing as he finished crawling out, then turning pulled with his other hand, extracting a gasping and wild-eyed samurai. Grunting Naruto exchanged hands, pulling the third one out, repeating the process several more times. Ino came out looking less wild-eyed and more disgusted. Several minutes later, Naruto pulled the last samurai free of the tiny toad, who promptly flipped Naruto off before disappearing beneath the water.

Prickly bastards, Naruto thought, collapsing to a sitting position in the snow. Sensing motion from behind him, he craned his head back to stare at Ino, who was glowering down at him hands on her hips. He couldn't stop his chortle, which only made Ino glower even harder, which made Naruto laugh outright.

"Yeah, laugh it up later," Ino said, kicking snow at him "we need to get our asses in gear."

"Right, right," Naruto said, getting to his feet looking over the samurai who were picking themselves up. Satisfied with that, Naruto turned his attention to the surrounding area; the snow on the ground was fresh and the trees ringing the clearing were twisted and charred.

"How long were we in Gamajun?" Naruto asked, glancing at Ino who shrugged. Naruto mentally grumbled about that, there was no telling how the situation had changed. Better to assume that they were behind the enemy lines, they're best option would be the prearranged rendezvous point. "Ino-chan?"

"Don't know, lost track after the first 12 hours." Ino said, knowing wordlessly what he was going to ask. "We have several wounded. Plus, we need to go slow and search for Nisei."

"Crap." Naruto muttered, glancing at Ino who got the message and turned to pass the word on to the samurai. Turning back, Naruto studied the area, he scowled, trying to judge which direction they needed to go in. He could roughly guess the path they took to this point, but they needed the quickest path back to their safe point.

"Ready?" Ino asked.

"Best I can figure, we head that way," Naruto said, pointing off to the right "I think it'll be the most direct path back. I'll make some Kage Bunshin to scout around."

Ino made an indistinct noise and motioned with her hand, setting out as the samurai fell into line behind her. Naruto fell in at a slower pace, creating Kage Bunshin as he went. As he watched the last one rush off, the blond rubbed his neck tiredly, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally which was a first for him.

His mind kept going around in circles; how long were they in the toad? How could he have made such a stupid lunge during that fight? Were Nisei and the others still alive? Was Akatsuki going to turn up soon? What about Hanabi, was she still alive or had she been killed when Kumo swept through unhindered? Naruto felt like he was slowly going mad with such relentless thoughts.

All he really wanted to do was crawl into a dry, warm bed and sleep for the next week. Not that it was going to happen, but that's what he wanted, hell even a patch of earth scraped free of snow sounded like heaven. Naruto felt certain that if he could just get a few hours of sleep, real sleep...

Naruto shook his head sharply, forcing himself to stop thinking about sleep. Letting his mind wander was a huge liability, Ero-sennin had hammered that into his head repeatedly. Focus, he had to stay focused on what he was doing, otherwise very bad things happened; of course this had mostly been in relation to his training toward harnessing the Kyūbi.

It was frighteningly easy to lose your sense of self in the flood of a demons power, there were few things quite as addicting or destructive.

A snapping twig jerked him back to the present, away from the memories of his training trip. Looking around intently, he spotted Ino trudging heedlessly along with the samurai. Naruto considered discarding the noise as his mind playing tricks on him, when he heard the faint sound of metal on metal, and he came to a sudden abrupt halt.

Straining Naruto stretched his senses out, trying to catch more of the faint sounds. Maybe it was lingering after effects of the Kyūbi's chakra, there was no telling when it came to that damn fox's chakra. Naruto snapped his head to the right, eyes narrowing as he heard the metal on metal sound yet again; he wasn't just imagining it.

"Naruto?" Ino asked suddenly from his side.

"Did you hear something just now?" Naruto asked in return, his attention never wavering from the source of the noise.

"No." Ino said, stepping into the edge of his vision. "What do you hear?"

"Sounds like a battle." Naruto said after a moment, frustrated at not knowing for sure "I'll go take a look."

"You sure about that?" Ino asked, an anxious look flashing across her face as he glanced at her "If you get captured…"

"I won't." Naruto said grinning before adding "But just in case…"

"What do yo-meph!" Ino managed, as he pulled her against him capturing her mouth in a kiss. Ino froze for a moment, startled, and then her mouth began working feverishly against his as her arms wrapped around his neck. Her hold pulled him even tighter against her, forcing their bodies to make as much contact as possible.

This was by no means the first kiss they had shared, but the previous ones had all been kisses in the vein of desperate-last-chance kisses. This kiss, it was more along the lines of a hungry consuming passionate kiss; starting soft and chaste before growing into white-hot flames. But what made Naruto truly enjoy this kiss more than anything, was the fact that Ino was whimpering.

There was just something about that whimper that Naruto found insanely sexy.

Breaking the kiss, each breathing heavily, they stood there for a second longer before Naruto took several unsteady steps back and then grinning stupidly turned taking off into the snow covered forest. It was a testimony to his skills that when he took to the tree branches that he didn't break his neck as the kiss played through his mind, but he managed to eventually put it to the back of his mind.

A moment later, he got a jolt of knowledge and shifted directions, while picking up speed. From what his Kage Bunshin had gathered, before self-poofing, Lee seemed to be on his last legs staring down a team of Kumo ninja. It wasn't until he reached the last area his Kage Bunshin had been in that Naruto realized that his own body seemed oddly taxed.

Shaking it off, he focused instead on Lee, who exploded into the clearing with a Kumo ninja hot on his trail, vapors of steam wafting from his body. A brief exchange of punches and kicks made it abundantly clear that Lee had pushed his body too far and that the steam was left over from his use of the Inner Gates. Still, despite the weakened condition, Lee seemed to be holding his own so Naruto turned his attention trying to spot the other three Kumo ninja.

Spotting two emerging from either side of Lee in a pincer type movement, Naruto acted. Selecting a pair of Kunai he fired both at the different targets and a hand seal later, he transformed that single those two blades into a multiplying storm of death. Both Kumo ninja reacted with similar vigor, dodging as the kunai struck the ground exploding.

Naruto was already circling around to the nearest enemy as the first lightning bolts struck his previous location, splitting the tree in half. Hitting the ground, Naruto broke cover charging toward the startled enemy: the Kumo nin reacted smoothly, plunging a kunai at Naruto's face without a single moment of hesitation.

Naruto for his part shifted his weight, while managing to betray no hint of motion, avoided the strike and slip inside the man's guard. The Kumo ninja had a moment to register his sudden disappearing/reappearing act before Naruto had shoved an angled kunai through the soft side of the chin, severing the windpipe and spinal cord in one motion.

Grabbing the arm of the now limp body, as blood cascaded from the blow, he spun using it as a shield as several shuriken and kunai whistled toward him. Two quick steps forward and a shove threw the body in the path of the attacker, which proved pointless as a dragon made of lightning tore through the body without even slowing down.

Countering with a wall of wind, Naruto escaped the immediate area disappearing back into the forest, pausing long enough to check up on Lee, before racing off yet again. His efforts at luring the enemy away were redoubled as a nearby tree exploded into splinters from a lightning bolt, many of which found their way into Naruto's exposed flesh not that he paid them any particular attention.

Skidding to a halt, as another tree exploded from lightning, Naruto shifted directions intent on playing a dangerous game of tag. Still, he had to keep this up until the enemy made a mistake, which he doubted would happen anytime soon. A motion darted across his peripheral vision and he turned that way before jumping as he a wolf made of lightning lunged for his throat.

Grabbing an overheard branch, Naruto changed directions abruptly as a tree toppled from being sheared in half. Rebounding off two other trees gaining height he spotted his attacker and formed the hand seals before unleashing a Fūton: Atsugai. As the blast of wind went off crushing that area, his hand snapped out sending a kunai attached to a wire to that snagged a branch and that swung swing him clear of the blast zone.

Landing a little more heavily than he had expected, Naruto had a moment to catch his breath before a kunai soared at him from above. Swearing he threw his body into motion, clearing the circle of death, which promptly crackled with lightning and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He'd taken care of two ninja, but he'd forgotten about the third.

Skidding to a halt, he changed direction when the newest Kumo ninja attacked from out of nowhere, striking out with a hand humming with electricity. Naruto escaped the first blow, and then the second but he was a half-minute too slow on the third and took a glancing blow to the arm which went numb. Panting, he kicked up a cascade of snow temporarily blinding his enemy while putting even more distance between them while buying time for one of his left over Kage Bunshin to arrive.

The Kumo ninja recovered quicker than expected and pressed his attack, an arrogant smirk on his face. Each strike was coming closer and closer, leaving his skin tingling and Naruto began to wonder if this bastard could read him like that ass from the prison camp. If this was another Jinkourai, if he remembered the name Nisei had told him right, then he was in trouble with only one arm.

Dodging an overhand strike, Naruto realized that perhaps he was over estimating this guy; he seemed less skilled in reading him than others. Ducking beneath a powerful kick Naruto shot to the side, wondering how much longer the damn fox would take. It wasn't like this was a lung or something, his arm should have been healed by now.

A second later his arm was filled with a painful tingling sensation, like millions of knives were stabbing through his arm, followed by the searing heat he had grown familiar with. About damn time, Naruto thought darkly, kicking even more snow into the man's field of vision feeling slightly light headed.

"Hold still you bastard!" The Kumo ninja shouted face red in anger as he wiped the snow from his face and sprang forward. A second later he came to an abrupt halt, arms being pulled painfully backward as a Kage Bunshin grabbed him in a half-nelson, its legs hooking around his hips. The opening would only last for a few seconds, but Naruto didn't need much time even with his still recovering arm.

The charka swirled to life in his hand, the air whistling as the Rasengan swirled the air around it. Two quick steps brought him into striking distance, and bringing his arm forward slammed the swirling mass of chakra into the stationary Kumo ninja. There was a brief moment of non-motion before the Kumo ninja was blown off his feet and sent spinning backward before crashing through several trees.

Naruto panting, studied the path of destruction left behind, then turned as the sound of a snapping twig caught his attention. Thankfully it was just Lee who came stumbling into the area, looking worse than ever. Lee paused, using a tree to support himself, grinning in that disturbingly bright way that he had apparently mastered. "Yosh, my Flames of Youth still burn brightly."

"Great." Naruto said, blinking "even exhausted you're just freaky."

* * *

AN:

Funny story, I went to upload this chapter but realized I had not written the Karin and Suigetsu scene. So I had to do that, I thought about stretching the scene out to include the meeting of their medical doctor and the layout of his place but then realized that was unneeded details. Besides, I had conveyed all the information needed in the dialog and the tail end (I'm sorry, forgive me) of the scene seemed the perfect place to stop.

Also, let me know if any " are missing or something like that.


	37. Chapter 35: The Days of Remorse

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Volume 5: Faces of Evil  
Chapter 35:  
_-The Days of Remorse-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

_Location Unknown, Orochimaru's Safe House..._

_:_

_:_

Anko stared at the flames dancing in the brazier, as if in a trance, watching as the flames as they danced and chased away the chill in the small safe house. It was the first time in the last month since Orochimaru had given her team the orders for this suicidal mission that she'd been alone and able to relax. To make matters worse, Anko had been dealing with a perpetual headache and the near constant terror of 'her' speaking up.

The surprisingly loud crack-hiss as a piece of charcoal broke apart jerked Anko out of her trance and she absently added a spare piece of charcoal to the fire and thanked the kami for small favors, she would have hated spending the last few nights without a fire. They were just entering the coldest month of the year, and the small safe house had nothing usable in the way of blankets or food, and if the safe house wasn't so small the brazier wouldn't have been worth a damn either.

Sighing, Anko let her mind turn to the mission briefly before frowning as she realized how much time had passed. Guren and Ishidate should have been back by now, could Konoha have changed their patrol routes already? No, they wouldn't be changing the pattern until next month, which meant that those two had messed up and were now busy trying to correct it.

Shaking her head Anko turned her attention to the changing shadows on the wall behind the brazier, thinking about the daunting task ahead of her. Of course, when Orochimaru had issued his orders he'd done so as if what he was asking would be no more difficult than crossing a street. But the truth was, he had given her a nigh-impossible task: to assassinate the Hokage in the heart of Konoha.

She had to kill Kakashi.

"_Not so easy is it?"  
_

"Shut up!" Anko hissed, and if possible her headache grew worse. She didn't need this, but her 'other self' wouldn't leave her alone.

"_Telling yourself to shut up doesn't quite work."_ A pause _"Besides, I'm just making conversation. We're about to kill our boyfriend, or would he be an Ex now?"_

"He was nothing." Anko snarled under her breath, fists clenching so tight that her knuckles cracked. She didn't have time to argue, there was a job to do, she'd gotten them through the Kai Kekkai undetected and she would be the one to kill the Hokage. But silently Anko grumbled that it should have been enough that she'd gotten them through the Kai Kekkai, which had been taxing enough, but sadly while Guren and Gozu might have the raw power to challenge the man, and Ishidate could always get lucky, none of them had the experience needed.

_"__Nothing, huh?"_ Came the sarcastic reply _"Funny, you seem to be having a lot of trouble planning this out for someone that's nothing."_

"Bitch."

"_Yes, we are." _

Anko exploded to her feet, a string of curses on her lips, but choked them back as she registered a creak from the veranda. Turning she faced the open doorway expecting Ishidate, Guren or an ANBU: it turned out to be the second of the three. A minute or two later Ishidate entered the small room and as he moved to lean against a wall, Anko focused her attention on Guren, arching an eyebrow. "Well?"

"The area is prepared." Guren answered, frowning slightly "I've planted my crystals around the tower so whenever you're ready we can move and ensure nobody will get in the way."

"Good. What about Gozu?"

"He says his part is ready any time," Guren answered, half shrugging "he did caution that the others are getting nervous and those _things_ restless."

"Well it won't be much longer," Anko said, cracking her neck before turning to consider the smug Ishidate. "So?"

"You were right, Konoha is undermanned. Mostly Genin and Chūnin, with a scattering of Jōnin and ANBU." Ishidate explained, leaning against a nearby wall, arms crossed. "This should be easy since the bulk of their forces have gone North."

"Don't get cocky." Anko said, fighting a frown, she should be happy to hear it. After all her plan hinged on the Barrier and the fact that Konoha would have geared up for a big final push in the battle against Otogakure in the North. But things rarely worked as planned, especially infiltrating a powerful ninja village and killing the leader. "Just because Konoha is sending the bulk of its force north in preparation for the battle in Edyoto doesn't mean it'll just roll on its back and spread its legs like your mother. At the moment the Hokage is still here and Tenzo the ANBU Commander, so don't take them lightly."

"Whatever." Ishidate growled, eyes narrowing. "I still don't get why we're striking now, this is insane. We should wait. You said he'll be on the move soon."

"Yes, in another day or so the Hokage would start moving toward Edyoto as well, he's missed the other major battles in Region 2, but he wouldn't miss this one." Anko said rolling her eyes "Which means he'd be on guard and ready for ambush. But at the moment, compared to later, his security is going to be lax and since I know the route for Konoha patrols and the security procedure for when the Hokage is in village, it's the best choice."

"Doesn't make much sense to me." Ishidate sneered.

"It doesn't need to make sense to you." Anko said, giving him a flat stare that made him tense. "All **you** have to do is follow _my_ orders."

"Anko-sama," Guren said carefully "are there any further details for the plan?"

"Not many details left." Akno explained, meeting the other woman's gaze blandly "Guren make sure your in place for when Gozu unleashes the distraction. We want maximum chaos to lure as many of the ninja in the Tower out before you grow that dome."

"Right."

"I'll handle the ones that don't leave the tower." Anko continued, turning her gaze back to Ishidate. "Which means the actual assassination is up to you."

"Don't worry about it." Ishidate said, grinning widely "Hokage or not, he won't be able to handle me."

Right, Anko thought sarcastically, if it takes Kakashi more than five minutes to kill you I'll defect back to Konoha. "Let's go."

* * *

_Konoha, Hidden Bunker, Barrier Team..._

:

:

The Kai Kekkai was an often whispered about topic, it surrounded Konoha and served as an early warning system ensuring that the village would not be caught unaware. Not that it was infallible, but the methods in which you could bypass the Barrier were limited. The first method was rather simple, involving a lone ninja passing through the barrier and then summoning their comrades, but the Barrier Interception Team would be on the invading ninja before they could do much of anything.

The second method was a little more complicated since it required that the ninja first channel their chakra to form a thin layer over their body followed by manipulating the chakra layer to harmonize with the 'frequency' of the barrier. This in turn would make them invisible to those monitoring the Kai Kekkai, allowing the ninja to come and go as they desired, but such a technique was known to only three ninja: the Hokage, ANBU Commander, and the Jōnin Commander.

However, for a Genin fresh from the academy being part of Konoha's Barrier Team protecting the village from unexpected threats was untold excitement compared to D-rank missions.

Sadly, after years of doing the same thing without variation any excitement the job had held was bled away. The near maddening monotony of the task was made worse by the fact that you had to sit quietly in meditation, to sync your chakra to the massive barriers frequency. Meaning that unlike normal guard duty you had no scenery other than the inside of your eyelids, and it was required that you kept your mind empty and formless for maximum sensitivity.

Not that it was all bad, as a member of the Barrier Team all of your bills and needs were covered by the Village. Unfortunately that meant you lived, ate and slept in the same place that you worked for the rest of your life, thus ensuring that you had no personal life. Indeed, as a member of the Barrier Team, the only social interaction you got was playing cards with the other Barrier Team members on a lunch break, or the occasional visiting official.

The Interception Teams had it better, though not by much.

Still being a member of the Konoha Barrier Team was an important, if boring, responsibility. Or so the members of the Konoha Barrier Team told themselves.

"Western Gate; Intruders in all sectors."

"Ground Barrier Breached; Central Market District!"

"Sky Barrier Breached; Civilian Residential District!"

"Northern Gate; Intruders in all sectors!"

"Southern Gate; Intruders in all sectors!"

"Eastern Gate; Intruders in all sectors!"

"Alert the Hokage!"

* * *

_Konoha, Near the East Gate..._

_:_

_:_

Uzuki Yūago grimaced as she raced along the street filled with panicking civilians, heading for her teams designated meeting spot. Yes, her team had been on standby so it was perfectly acceptable for them to slip away for some dinner, but it was also stupid of her to go so far away from the chosen location. Growing frustrated with the lack of progress, and worried from the distant noise of combat and chaos Yūgao lunged from the street to a nearby awning, then with a side-flip jumped across the street to the edge of a rooftops chain link fence and then back flipped her way to the top of a water reserve tower on the building behind her.

Landing in a crouch, the ANBU captain swept her gaze out across the distance. Explosions and blooming fires dotted the landscape in a vast swatch, but paid particular attention to the crystalline dome that had engulfed the Hokage Tower. Were they trying to isolate the Hokage, or was it merely an attack that had missed its mark? A rough shake of her head dismissed such thoughts and with a surge of her chakra she shot forward across the rooftops with a series of Shunshin no Jutsu.

The closer she drew to the nearest battle, the more pronounced how badly the village had been caught off guard. The Barrier extended ten miles beyond the village walls, approaching enemy should have been detected well before they could reach the village itself. For that matter, even if many of their shinobi were heading north for the Edyoto battle, Konoha had continued to maintain patrols even further out.

Registering movement on a street below, Yūgao came to an abrupt halt to find a child crawling backwards away from the prone form of a teenager, her shirt riding up obscenely round her midriff, head bent backwards like a broken doll. Yūgao soon realized he was actually backing away from the Oto ninja hovering over the body, one that was adopting a predatory position, and Yūgao drew a kunai before leaping into the Oto nin's path, driving her bladed weapon into the man's chest.

The Oto nin stumbled back from the impact, but didn't fall over nor seem bothered by the blade protruding from their chest. Yūgao wondered briefly if they were wearing some kind of armor, when she caught sight of her opponent's eyes: eerie blue, almost white, lifeless eyes for a a and a chill raced up her spine. The word 'Shi-nin' flashed through her mind even as she dodged, narrowly avoiding the punch aimed at her.

This was not mostly definitely not good; Shi-nin were little more than whispered rumors to most. They had quickly become the boogeyman of both the younger generation of ninja and civilians, whose imaginations were filled with countless stories about the Shi-nin. They brutally attacked anything that moved, it was whispered that only the strongest of ninja could stop a single Shi-nin, and it was a firmly held belief that if a Shi-nin was close enough to be seen, then it was already too late.

Those that _**had**_ encountered Shi-nin would love to have refuted such things, but sadly instead would admit that such things were completely accurate for most people.

Yūgao scowled as she dodged yet again, realized she hadn't moved far enough, and brought her arm up to block the incoming kick. The impact made her whole arm ache, as well as crack the forearm protector she was wearing. Yūgao lunged to the side, pushed off the wall launching back toward the roof tops, attempting to lure the creature away from the child and to buy her some time to figure out how to handle such a dangerous thing.

The sound of rushing footsteps on the roof behind her alerted her that the Shi-nin had taken the bait, when she noticed they were getting louder she realized the Shi-nin was closing fast. Speeding up, Yūgao jumped as she reached the edge of the roof almost seeming to glide as she sailed through the air. Landing she ran ten more steps before pivoting, hurling a series of exploding kunai at the Shi-nin as it landed awkwardly behind her.

The explosions bloomed into the sky, but impossibly, each and everyone had missed the chosen target. The Shi-nin was barreling toward her so inhumanly fast that it almost didn't register, but Yūgao reacted with a palm heel to things nose breaking it, followed by a spinning kick to its sternum knocking it off its feet. The thing was back on its feet in an instant and charging yet again, narrowly dodging the kunai and shuriken Yūgao was hurling at it.

Shouting wordlessly, Yūgao brought her right arm around slamming the metal of the forearm protector into its incoming fist, and then spinning behind the Shi-nin drove an elbow into its back forcing it to slam face first into the gravel of the roof. Jumping away from the sprawling creature, arms and leg aching, she swore; hitting that thing was like hitting a concrete slab and it was matching the speed of a Shunshin without using any chakra.

Landing she rued not having more deadly ninjutsu and hated the fact that she was going to have to use the only thing worthwhile she'd ever inherited from her father. Bringing her hands together she began forming the hand seals to activate her bloodline, even as the now recovered Shi-nin barreled down on her. Inhaling deeply, then gulping down twice more to increase the amount of air she was holding, Yūgao centered herself and activated her Jinton.

She had 4 minutes to finish this fight, which was an eternity more than she actually needed.

A flash of intense heat followed by a void of air-less space surrounding her body followed, and then Yūgao disappeared in to motion, darting to the right, leaving behind a heat-illusion. Pivoting she looped around, zooming in at the faint blur that was her target. Drawing her sword, she slashed at its back but missed due to mis-timing her distance, and was forced to shift directions running in another wider loop multiplying her speed.

Now the Shi-nin was little more than a blob of multi-color blurs, forcing her to aim for the center mass of the mess. Normally her blade wouldn't have been able to pierce the bones but at the speed she was travelling, the metal slid into the Shi-nin without effort, but she didn't stop her forward momentum which carried them both over the side of the roof. Only they went in different directions: Yūgao used the Shi-nin as a launching pad, so that she soared high into the air, twisting as she did so that her blade sliced the now descending Shi-nin in half.

The motion and her leap into the air combined to bleed a good portion of her momentum off, Yūgao was just thankful that she hadn't achieved her full speed. Reaching the peak of her jump, her world briefly returned to focus, the village spreading out beneath her, flares of far flung ninjutsu and explosions dotting her view. A second later gravity reasserted its hold on her and she plummeted toward the ground, causing Yūgao to clench her teeth as she spread her limbs out of instinct to slow her descent, not remembering that she existed in a vacuum at the moment.

Then suddenly the vacuum was gone and the wind slammed into her, like hundreds of tiny blades slicing into her exposed flesh, hair whipping wildly behind her. Yūgao tilted forward and raised her hands over her head, the ground coming up at her extremely fast. It only took a few seconds for her to realize that this wasn't going to work: if the impact didn't kill her it would definitely cripple her. But she did have an option, stretching her arm out she bit her lip as a cable hung with multicolored lanterns went taunt as she grabbed it.

Her shoulder seemed to pop out of socket from the sudden jarring, and the sudden change in momentum nearly broke her neck as she swung around and launched herself toward a nearby roof.

Yūgao hit the roof with her knees unlocked, dropping to the ground and rolling with the impact: it was bone-jarring and disorientating. Somersaulting up, she continued running to stave off the deadly results of suddenly stopping at her current speed. Reaching the edge of the roof Yūgao hurtled her body into the air, her body leveling into a dive clearing two more buildings from sheer momentum as the whole world seems to spin on its axis.

Hitting the next roof top she rolled back to her feet and continued running, gradually slowing down, until with one last jump she landed on the next rooftop and rolling over a shoulder came up on one knee, braced for an attack. When none came Yūgao took in her surroundings, struggling to control her breathing to keep from hyperventilating now that she was free of the vacuum necessary for the Jinton.

Her body ached in a hundred different places from the impacts she had taken, it felt like one of her ribs had broken probably from the initial impact, and she could feel the blood trickling from the dozens of lacerations covering her shoulders thanks to the pebbles that littered the rooftops. It all served as a painful reminder as to why she rarely used her bloodline, even if it was the only useful think thing her father ever passed on, the risks simply outweighed the benefits the majority of the time.

Reaching up to her dislocated shoulder, she gritted her teeth and forced it back into place. That done and her breathing back to normal, she resumed her movement to her teams meeting location while blocking out the splotches of blood and other signs of slaughter on the streets below. It took all her training to keep her emotions in check as she noticed a little girls shoe and blood-stained leg peeking out from an alley; there would be time enough for anger and mourning later.

Catching sight of one of her current teams, Fū, three houses to the left she shifted directions. Glancing below, she saw a starving dog running away from the direction she was headed in before looking pointedly away from a mother clutching a bundle of blankets that lay unmoving in the street. Yūago tried to take some comfort that while some had been lost, others would be safe since the people of Konoha knew procedure for invasions.

The instant it had started they began deserting the shops, bars and restaurants. By now, many should be in the 'Green Zones', the safety buildings under Genin guard. Not that Genin would be able to do much against Shi-nin, but it was better than nothing. Still those Chūnin in charge of the 'Green Zones' would have been given orders to make sure that should the first responders fail that none of the civilians were to be subjected to the Shi-nin.

Yūago forcible stopped thinking about that, those orders would never be followed because they had both a Sanin in the Village and the Hokage. Hatake Kakashi, her former Semapi within ANBU and then ANBU Commander, Yūgao had no doubt he'd be more than enough to turn the tide of this battle once he got involved: but there was the small matter of that massive pink crystal dome surrounding the Hokage Tower.

Loyalty fought against duty as she remembered that dome, but duty won out. No, Kakashi was Hokage and there was no way he'd be stopped by something like that.

Landing on the house across from Fū, she exchanged a silent nod with the other man. No sooner had she arrived than Torune did with missing pieces of armor and a hastily wrapped bloody bandage on his left forearm and right shoulder. It was at times like this Yūgao wished she had learned some medical techniques, her normal team had a field medic but this was a temporary team and since this was an emergency all medic ninja were regulated to the hospital and the safe houses.

"What happened?" Fū asked, tilting his head slightly.

"A group of Shi-nin had cornered a group of Genin helping some civies trying to escape." Torune answered dourly "It was a near thing but I bought them enough time to get to the rooftops and away from the area."

"Are you up for this?" Yūgao asked, keeping her tone bland, angry at the possibility of dealing with a less than healthy team member.

"I'm still good for combat."

"Good." Yūgao grunted, adjusting her mask slightly, before setting out with the others in tow. "Our orders are to find Shi-nin, kill Shi-nin, then rinse and repeat. Remember these things are fast and strong, and they come in two stages. There's supposed to be a third stage, but we've yet to see one. Anyway, there is only one way to deal with these Shi-nin."

"Kill them." Fū said grouchily.

"Heads the best target, the ribcage and sternum are mutated to the point that kunai snap when you try piercing through them." Yūgao said, noticing other ANBU teams darting across the rooftops in the distance. Subtly and stealth cast away for speed, obviously they didn't know about the real danger to dealing with the Shi-nin. "A side-objective, the Shi-nin are mindless creatures for the most part so keep an eye out for any Oto ninja. Take them out and the fights get a hell of a lot easier."

Both men grunted their understanding, reminding Yūgao that she was not the only experienced ANBU Member present.

"Group of Genin at ten'oclock," Fū said, his tone barely a gravelly whisper.

"They have civilians with them, mostly women and children." Torune added his tone grave. "The Shi-nin are closing fast from behind."

"Here we go." Yūgao murmured as they shifted to the left and continued north-west of their previous location."Fū, keep an eye out for the enemy ninja. Torune you're behind me, anything that gets by you take them out, we don't let anything get past us."

The destination came into view a block ahead of them, and Fū separated falling back slightly, as a group of civilians herded by three Genin hurtle around the corner. One of them tripped and fell; missed by the rear guard Genin, by the time the man got back to his feet the hoard of Shi-nin had rounded the corner. Drawing her sword, she began molding chakra into her blade along with boosting her speed with chakra, aware that she was already too late for the man.

The lead Shi-nin tackled the man from behind, snarling as the weight of the impact carried them both to the ground. The Shi-nin was brutal, grabbing a fist-full of hair and smashing the man's head repeatedly against the street. The other Shi-nin continued past the brutal assault and the rear Genin (who she saw now as wearing glasses) was beginning to lag behind, unnoticed by the orange haired kunoichi on the left or the teal-haired kunoichi in the lead.

With a powerful leap, Yūgao launched into the air, her sword sweeping over head. There was a breathless second of weightlessness as she reached the peak of her jump and then she was dropping toward the street below. As the wind rushed past her face, hair streaming behind her a faint smile tugged at her lips at the old thrill racing through her body.

Yūgao hit the ground behind the fleeting Genin and civilians with her knees unlocked, dropping to the ground and rolling with the impact. The instant after she finished her roll she plunged the blade of her sword into the pavement, releasing one of Hayate's dances the '_Odori no Tsuiraku Tsuki_'. The ground exploded upward and out from the technique, sending chunks of stone and debris slamming into the Shi-nin, momentarily disrupting their charge.

Pulling her blade free of the ground she regained her feet just as the first Shi-nin recovered and charged. She ducked beneath the wild swing of the creature's fist, spinning so that her blade sliced through its neck decapitating it. The body toppled in a bloody heap behind her as she completed her spin and recentered her stance, sword held before her as the other Shi-nin finally began to surge forward.

* * *

_Konoha, Office of the Hokage..._

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Kakashi knew something was wrong almost instantly thanks to the various seals that protected his office; some where countermeasures against unwanted surveillance, others for quick encoded messages, and some acted as security alarms. So when the low hum of a Barrier Team message filled his office followed by the hiss of a security seal, Kakashi moved quickly to prepare for an incoming attack and was thus unsurprised when he looked out at his office window to see the explosions filling his villages streets nor when fifty feet from his tower a crystalline structure sprung from the ground, no doubt creating a dome around the building.

He could have escaped before the dome went up, but then again this was an assassination attempt. If he escaped then whoever the assassin was would simply follow him and Kakashi's forces would no doubt be having a hard enough time defending against the enemy distraction, they didn't need the extra burden of trying to protect their Hokage. So instead he watched the barrier go up, mused about the timing of it, pleased that Tenzou had already left the Tower to check on the village patrols.

Admittedly he did consider the possibility that Tenzou had planned the attack, but shook his head disregarding that consideration.

Turning away from the window, he moved to the center of the room and stared at the doorway expectantly. The would-be assassin would have to try and bust through the door and take him in one swift attempt; few ninja could match a Kage in prolonged battle. Maybe they would try and cover their entry with a Genjutsu, or some kind of gas, but Kakashi doubted they would attempt such a dubious method of entry.

He was proven right in his theory when the door slammed in, though he was surprised when instead of charging into the room, his attacker strolled in as if he had nothing to fear from being in the same room as the Hokage. Kakashi eyed the man curiously, or more correctly he eyed the black and blue armor that the man was wearing. It was made of some strange dark metal, with a large ying-yang symbol in the chest; there was some trick to it that much was obvious.

Then there was the quasi-gauntlet sporting an orange glowing gem the man was wearing on his right hand, which had to be the Izanami no Kougake that had been stolen from Iwa 15 years ago.

"Whats the matter?" The man asked gloatingly "Afraid?"

"Curious, actually." Kakashi corrected absently, debating on the need to use his Sharingan. Obviously this was a ninja from Oto, and if he was here the man had to have some skill, plus he couldn't discount the armor and gauntlet. Still, if he had been the one to steal the Izanami no Kougake from Iwa then the Bingo Books should have been ripe with his image and name, which made Kakashi believe that it had been Orochimaru to steal the gauntlet and was merely allowing this man to use it.

"Well you can be curious in hell!" The man shouted, eye twitching as he lunged forward.

Kakashi leaned back casually, easily avoiding the blow and the follow up spinning side-kick which flowed into a downward back fist. Well the good news was he wouldn't need his Sharingan, nor would he have to waste a kunai, but it was a little disappointing. As the man recovered from his wild momentum, Kakashi casually reached out to grab the man's elbow just above the gauntlet while swiftly bringing his other up to dislocate the shoulder.

The assassin cried out pain but it was cut short as Kakashi forced the gauntlet up, back into the man's own throat.

The orange gem glowed brightly, as thin trails of purple chakra trailed along the back of the gauntlet. Flesh turned grey and then slowly to stone, the whole process took only a few seconds before the assassin was now a statue. Kakashi released his grip on the elbow and stepped back to idly study the man's face, it was a mixture of pain and surprise, shaking his head the Hokage decided his time would be better spent checking on the progress of taking out the crystal surrounding the building.

At least until he heard the sound of clapping from the open doorway.

"I'm impressed." a hauntingly familiar voice said, sending a cold chill through Kakashi.

He turned slowly, refusing to believe what his ears were telling him, what his nose was smelt. Anko was dead, they had buried her, and Tsunade had done the autopsy personally so there was no way that he would find Mitarashi Anko standing there. Completing his turn however, proved such hope false: Anko was leaning against the door frame, the cocked hip revealed bared thigh and short mesh-shorts through the slits on either side of the full body, low cut, off-white tunic and a mesh-undershirt exposing her midriff.

"I mean, I knew it wouldn't take you long to take him out...but this was faster than I would have imagined." Anko continued, sounding amused as she entered the room and the Oto forehead protector glinted in the low light drawing his attention far more than her revealing clothes ever could. "And you used his own weapon against him. That was a master stroke."

This had to be a genjutsu.

"Whats the matter Kakashi, nothing to say to me?" Anko asked, giving him a curiously amused look.

"You're dead." Kakashi managed, desperately trying to dispel the genjutsu and utterly failing. Every sense he had was screaming that this was indeed Anko, _his_ Anko, but it was such an impossibility that he couldn't fathom how it could be her.

"Ebisu said something like that to." Anko said, staring at him evenly "And in a way you're right. The Anko you knew is dead; she was nothing but a too confining skin that I needed to shed."

"Like a snake." Kakashi said flatly.

"Well I am a viper," Anko joked with a grin, but it had none of the warmth or playfulness of the Anko he knew. "I could tell you the story of 'The Viper and the Farmer', but we both know how that story goes don't we?"

_**Shinobi Rule 29: Shinobi must be strong enough to destroy their own hearts when it is required, and kill the enemy without hesitation.**_

Hatake Kakashi had lived by that rule for the majority of his life, and knew that it was by far the hardest rule to adhere to as one grew older. It was perhaps the most important rule for a Shinobi to learn if not master, and yet it seemed almost impossible. How could he simply kill Anko, the woman he loved, even if she had turned traitor and faked her own death so that she could rejoin her older master.

Registering Anko's deliberate step toward him, Kakashi's attention shifted entirely toward her and despite his better instincts was struck by her femininity. It had been months since he had seen her, heard the way she breathed, saw the way her eyes soaked in the situation with a casualness that hid her true purpose. It was almost intoxicating to him, but he was Hokage and he wasn't going to be killed because he got wrapped up in seeing a woman he thought dead back among the living.

"If you take another step," Kakashi intoned firmly, even as his heart refused to harden to the thought of what he would have to do "we won't be able to change what will happen."

"You're assuming things _can_ change." Anko answered softly, stopping. "We both know the way this is going to end. The only way it can end for us."

"There are a lot of ways this can end." Kakashi countered, trying to ignore his emotions. He hadn't felt such inner-turmoil since that night when he had confronted Rin, when he had been forced to make the choice between his team mate and the Village.

"Don't delude yourself," Anko said, shaking her head "either you die or I die. There is no happy ending for us… that was never in our future."

"It was, once." Kakashi said, finding the fragile calmness that he needed for the situation.

"Enough talk!" Anko suddenly snapped, her demeanor changing and she sprang forward with all her speed and grace.

Kakashi hesitated and it nearly cost him his life, as she drew her hands in and then unleashed twin punches which sent twin _Seneijashu_ at him. He dodged the snake on the right leaping into the air throwing a kunai in his wake to pin the snakes head to the floor. Unfortunately the snake on the left was far too close to dodge by conventional means and a hasty _Kawarimi_ with a nearby chair was all that saved him from the venomous serpent.

Landing he pivoted, throwing several shuriken at her, but Anko was already darting to the right with a kunai in her hand. The spinning blades were deflected easily enough, but the distraction worked as Kakashi was already breathing out the chakra enhanced flames of a _Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu_. The massive ball of red hot flames scorched the ground and wall of her previous location, leaving behind charred smoking wood.

Anko however, had already dodged to the side and she was now bearing down on him hurling kunai as she came. Kakashi weaved his way forward and then moved to the side, circling around toward her back, as the metal weapons exploded from their attached notes. Coming to a halt, Kakashi lunged for Anko's exposed back hand crackling with lightning but he was a half-step too slow allowing her to easily dodge the Chidori.

Not that it would have done much against her if it had hit, Kakashi thought sourly allowing the lightning chakra to fade from his hand. He hadn't intended to kill her; he couldn't bring himself to fight her with an intent to kill her. His emotions simply wouldn't let him fight her with all of his strength and ruthlessness, she was too precious to him for such things and such sentimental attachment was going to get him killed.

Turning to face Anko, he breathed out in futile preparation, but paused seeing her press a hand against the side of her head shoulders trembling.

"Anko?"

At his voice, her attention snapped to him and her face twisted into a feral snarl before she attacked him once more, more ferociously than he had experienced before. It was of such level that for a moment it was all he could do to defend against her assault. At least until an opening presented itself and he sidestepped a punch that could have broken his neck and drove a round-kick into her stomach doubling her over as he drove the air out of her.

Twisting he drove a over-hand left into her cheek stunning her and then with a sharp spin he slammed his right forearm into her upper chest sending her somersaulting across the room. Anko hit the wall hard and slid to the ground in a senseless heap, leaving Kakashi the time to wonder what was going on. Something was definitely wrong with her, could it be that Orochimaru was using some kind of mental control ninjutsu on her?

He dismissed that, it was a luxury to think that Anko was being mind-controlled. She was far to independent and bloodthirsty for any kind of justu that could control her, whatever was wrong with her was something different. But the possibility was still there and he cursed the fact that he was now going to hesitate even more- and damn it why wasn't he killing her now while he had that chance instead of standing here thinking about all of this?

But it was too late for a quick end; Anko was back on her feet panting heavily and glaring at him with a surprising amount of open hatred. More alarming however were the red flames creeping along the left hand side of her body; covering her neck, face, arm and leg. As the flames came to a stop they faded from an intense red to black, leaving in their wake a tainted chakra that even he could feel boiling within her and an altered left eye.

Reaching up Kakashi eased his forehead protector up, revealing his Sharingan aware that the situation had changed.

* * *

_Konoha, District 9, near the Theater..._

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Returning to consciousness was filled with pain: searing pain lancing through her back and neck, ears violently ringing, eyes hardly seeing, and a relentlessly pounding headache.

Squinting against the pain consuming her body, Hinata tried to collect herself, struggling to remember what had happened. But she couldn't, her brain refused to remember and Hinata gave on it up it after a minute, instead settling on getting up. That was when she finally registered the weight pressing down on her chest, and she tried to lift her head and focus but her vision reeled, the colors wrong and fading.

Relaxing she waited for her vision to return to normal and instead used her hands to explore the object resting atop her, even as every muscle in her body protested the slightest movement. Her exploring hands found fur- coarse fur, slick with a thick tacky liquid. She probed gently, her heart growing sick and she lifted her head again to look at the dead animal sprawled on her body but could only see white and blue fur.

Kuromaru, Hinata thought aghast, and with that name memories started to filter back in. Learning of the invasion as she was heading home, trying to help panicking civilians while struggling to head back to the Military Police Headquarters. Of eventually running into a group of Shi-nin battling Inzuaka Tsume, Kuromaru, Aburame Shibi, and a few other unfamiliar ninja. How she had been pulled into the conflict against her will, desperately fighting and fighting but discovering none of her techniques worked against the creatures.

She needed to get up, laying here in such a position was an invitation to trouble and so she eased the heavy body off her, trying to ignore the pain lancing through her body. Hinata rolled to her side and using her hands lurched to her feet were she swayed for a moment before collapsing in a boneless heap, coughing and retching blood, head seeming to explode with blinding pain. Taking deep, slow breaths using a technique unique to Amatsuyanagi, her style of Juken, to ease the pain and allow her to recover enough to move.

Feeling renewed, if temporary, strength Hinata slowly drew her limbs in once more and struggled her way back to her feet. Her pain filled world spun, leaving her with nausea, but it passed soon enough and Hinata turned to other matters. Cautiously she covered her ears, pressing while half opening her mouth to yawn, attempting to clear her ears, there was an increase of pain in her neck but it helped enough that she had something of her hearing restored.

Lowering her hands, she turned her shaky attention to her immediate surroundings, noting the ruined street and shops with a single glance. Distantly she could hear explosions filling the air, and while they did sound as if they were coming from a muffled tunnel, at least she could hear them. Then the stench of death washed over her and Hinata retched, but resisted the urge to throw up - still it reminded her of her current predicament and she began scanning the street intently.

Inhumanly mangled bodies littered the crater filled street, but here and there she could spot headless bodies. Obviously they had managed to take out a few of the Shi-nin, but it made her wonder what happened to the people she knew. Most notably she wondered about Tsume and why Kuromaru had ended up on top of her, and unconsciously her eyes drifted down to the body, and was shocked as if by an electric spark as more memories returned.

Someone had shouted for retreat, the Shi-nin swelling and beginning to overrun them...Tsume trying to save a child and ending up getting pulled apart like a zipper by two larger Shi-nin...

Hinata lost control over her stomach at the memory, but she had enough presence of mind to turn away from the body of Kuromaru. A few minutes later, left with the dry heaves and an acidic taste in her mouth, Hinata resolved to stop thinking about what had happened. Shaking, Hinata tried to pull her mind to the present, but it was hard to focus afraid that she would have to relive more horrors of the fight.

Gathering her resolve, at least as best she could, Hinata moved away from her exposed position, deciding that her earlier plan was still valid. If she could get to the Military Police Headquarters she would be in better shape, but after a few shaky steps she tripped and nearly slammed face first into the wall of a nearby building. Thankfully Hinata caught herself before impact, and leaning against the solid surface took several more deep slow breaths to reinvigorate her body even more, knowing that she was going to pay for this later.

"But Naruto-kun is not here," Hinata panted softly, taking strength from the resolve it took to say those words "so in his stead, I will protect this village."

That said and her body feeling better, she pushed away from the wall and started walking once more, making her way through the alley and emerging onto another battle scarred street. Only the battle was still raging, or at least the last flames of a battle: a solitary ANBU was fighting a towering man, both surrounded by the prone bodies of other ANBU. Hinata watched the two briefly, before her attention flickered to the faint glittering just beyond the furthest row of houses and wondered what it had been.

Her attention was returned to the battle the ANBU and the brutish Oto ninja at the sound of an explosion, an explosive note had just went off. But the target had been the street and not the large man, and Hinata wondered briefly until she saw the ANBU forming a familiar hand seal. 'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu' Hinata thought absently as the ANBU and his clones launched themselves forward from slightly different directions, using the lingering smoke from the earlier explosion as cover.

Unfortunately a half-minute later the small mob of ANBU were annihilated without warning by the large man, though how he managed it Hinata couldn't tell. As the last of the Kage Bunshin disappeared into a cloud of acidic smoke, the ANBU was caught around the throat by one hand as the second pulled back delivering a punch to his stomach. Hinata watched intently, surprised and horrified at the amount of power the enemy had just delivered with that one blow.

It hadn't looked like a particularly powerful punch, but it had actually caused the ANBU torso armor to break apart. The ANBU had to have internal injuries after such a blow and the Oto ninja was pulling back to deliver another blow - Hinata shot forward, afraid that she would be too late to stop the killing blow, her hand fishing in her pouch for senbon.

Arm slashing forward as she took hasty aim, Hinata unleashed a barrage of needles flying: the majority missed the target, but three senbon did find the enemy. The first hit the elbow of the punching hand, the second had hit the arm holding the ANBU by the neck just off the mark on the palm-side of the forearm, but the last struck the wrist near the thumb right where she had been aiming.

Even if the others had failed to do the job she intended the last made up for it as the hand of the Oto ninja reflexive snapped open releasing the ANBU. Hinata arrived an instant later as the Oto ninja was rapidly shaking his hand to try and regain feeling, allowing her to do two things at once. As she spun into a crouching position she shoved the bewildered ANBU out of the way and then coming around thrust her left palm forward using the '_Hakke Kūshō_'.

The Oto ninja was caught unprepared for the blast of chakra that slammed into his sternum, sending him flying across the street and through a building.

Panting, her back flaring in pain Hinata adopted her taijutsu stance in preparation for the coming battle, wishing that the other two needles had hit their marks. The elbow would have made the man faint and the one in the forearm would have paralyzed his arm. Shaking her head, she swore to practice more often with the senbon, observing with her bloodline as the enemy slowly stood and stared in her general direction with a frown.

A groan from behind drew her attention for a split-second, alerting her to the fact that the ANBU was getting up as well. "ANBU-san, I would suggest seeking medical aide."

"Ungh, don't worry about it." The ANBU grunted, hand resting on their abdomen glowing faintly green "You'll need my help against this guy. He's wicked fast, maybe it's the bloodline Jinton or something like that."

"No," Hinata said after a moment not taking her gaze off the man who was still simply standing there on the other side of the building "I observed his fight against you, and while he _is_ extremely fast in movement he **slows** before striking and then reaccelerates."

"So he's using the Shunshin no Jutsu?" the ANBU said sounding stunned. "But to move that fast, even with that technique, its unheard of."

"Perhaps, but as a Hyūga I am the perfect opponent for him."

"If you think so," The ANBU said, moving back from here "I won't leave, but I'll let you handle the fight."

Hinata started to respond before the man came hurtling back through the hole he had made earlier, reaching her faster than expected. Rearing back for a punch, his arm and fist expanded the enemy brought it down with tremendous force. Unfortunately for him Hinata dodged to the outside of his punch and as it struck the ground, creating a small impact crater, she slammed a chakra laced knife hand into his bicep damaging both muscle and chakra coils, followed by her other hand striking a tenteksu in his forearm with her fingers, sealing the chakra flowing to his fist.

Crying out in surprised pain the man retreated quickly, looking almost comical with such a massive arm making his now normal hand look even smaller than normal.

Galvanized into action Hinata darted forward, but the man jumped back and away, mouth opening before shooting a glob of mud at her. Hinata gave a tight smile, if she had been using the modern version of Juken she'd have to stop and use Kaiten, but Hinata wasn't using the modern style. She was using Amatsuyanagi, the original style of Juken, and it had another long range technique besides the _'Hakke Kūshō'__*__(_which was the only long range technique the modern version of Juken had retained).

Chakra gathering into her palm for the _'Chakra Hari no Jutsu__'_ she took aim and brought her hand forward, sending a thin needle of chakra to intercept the mud projectile. No sooner was it gone than the man was sending a barrage of mud bullets at her, enough that it nearly guaranteed she'd be hit. Skidding to a halt not daring to try and counter this while moving forward, Hinata took a deep breath and began hurling her own storm of chakra needles to counter the attack.

As the confrontation drew out longer, her already labored breathing grew worse, and she had to fight the urge to blink away the stinging sweat reaching her eyes. Hinata refused to lose, determined to win this fight even if it pushed her to the brink of chakra exhaustion. Still as the clash between the two ninjutsu went on, her arms grew more fatigued with each minute; then abruptly the globs of mud came to an end and she was left momentarily off-guard.

Just as she recovered from the sudden change Hinata was caught by surprise as the large Oto ninja appeared from nowhere, slamming a round-kick at her head. Hinata snapped a block up hard, striking just below the center of his inner thigh and then pivoting hitting him just below the ribs with the heel of her hand. The Oto ninja tumbled off his feet and rolled away before struggling to stand; Hinata grinned grimly in satisfaction.

Unlike other Hyūga, Hinata had learned nerve points due to her study of Amatsuyanagi. It might not take away his ability to use chakra, but by hitting the nerve in his leg she had hamstrung his mobility and the strike to his rib nerve constricted his breathing. It gave Hinata time to catch her breath and ease the stitch in her side.

With a sharp inhale, Hinata shot forward with all of her speed, hands pulling back to chamber on either side as chakra began to build around them for the _'Jūho Sōshiken'_. Reaching her target just as the chakra coalesced around each hand creating twin lion shaped shrouds, Hinata cried out as she drove her left hand forward- only to strike empty space. Hinata stumbled, thrusting her right hand out to strike the ground, using the impact to throw her body to the side as an over-sized fist of mud slammed into the ground from overhead.

Flipping around in the air Hinata landed painfully, panting as she stared at her now mud-encased enemy. Obviously he had more than just that derivative of the _'Partial Multi-Size Technique'_*, somehow he could travel through mud and use it to not only surround his body but as both offense and defense. Struggling to stand on already weak legs Hinata brought her hands up, concentrating chakra in her palms, her Byakugan following the pulses of chakra that were encasing him.

A second later his assault began, numerous shots of mud and fists were launched toward her. Hinata grimaced, and then began sweeping her arms: up, left, right, down, across, up, down, right, left expelling her chakra as she did so. Thicker, stronger, more flexible, until her chakra became a constant stream of arc-shaped blades, spreading out before enclosing her completely. His attacks had no chance of penetrating the _'Shugohakke Rokujūyon_ _Shō'_, it was the parent technique to the Kaiten, and the ultimate defensive technique of Amatsuyanagi.

Panting, as her arms dropped allowing the _'Shugohakke Rokujūyon_ _Shō' _faded from existence, Hinata had little time to actually register that her opponent was on the move. Actually, she didn't realize he was attacking her until she caught a glimpse of something that had to be his fist hurtling at her. Pivoting quickly she twisted her body out of the way and leapt back, trying to put room between her and the enemy.

Despite her best efforts the blow grazed her arm, leaving it numb. The sheer force of his punch left Hinata with no delusions that if she had taken it directly the results would have been fatal. Her Byakugan strained as she tried to follow his movements so that she could predict his next attack, but it was proving impossible: admittedly he wasn't the fastest person she had ever seen -that would be Rock Lee- but he was fast* and he seemed to be changing courses far to abruptly for it to be feasible.

Struggling to figure out the next direction he would attack from, Hinata tried to adopt a relaxed posture knowing that for the moment it would be her instincts combined with her bloodline that would get her through this. Registering a blur of motion from the left, Hinata dodged and the ground cratered where she had been standing. But the man was already on the move again, to building speed, until he charged from the right this time.

Hinata registered a fist flying toward her face and twisted aside, only for a foot to slam into her stomach, which drove the air out of her while blinding her with pain as she flew back.

The veins around her eyes disappeared as she hit the ground sliding a few feet further from the impact, before coming to a stop in a heap gasping for air. It was thanks only to the last minute trick of reinforcing her body with chakra that she had survived the blow. But it didn't matter, the pain and blood in her mouth meant **nothing**, because in the split second when he had shifted from punching to kicking Hinata had seen the secret behind his newly discovered speed.

Coughing up blood and spitting it away, Hinata ignored the fresh pain flooding her body and instead focused on getting back up. Her arms trembled, her head swam, her entire body was screaming in protest at her efforts. But she couldn't stop, not now, she had promised to protect the village in Naruto's stead and she would not go back on her promise: with a cry of bloody determination she surged upright and nearly collapsed again.

But she was upright again and concentrating chakra around her eyes, Hinata reactivated her bloodline taking in her surroundings. She had not realized before now that his hulking muscles were all due to the technique and now that she did Hinata knew that when he released his version of the Akimichi Clan technique they disappeared. The loss of mass, the reversion to his true form, was akin to when Lee dropped his ankle weights: that was the secret to his speed.

Now all she had to do was figure out how he was changing directions so abruptly, but to do that she would have to survive the next few minutes.

Registering his approach from over head, Hinata jumped to the side, paying careful attention to how he shifted directions. No sooner had she landed than she was forced to jump backwards, to avoid another attack from the man. Skidding to a halt, her breath coming in short ragged gasps, she struggled to keep her Byakugan active and keep from smirking at the realization that she might have discovered the final 'key' she needed.

Dodging another attack, one that had came from directly over head, leaving a crater formed from a mud blast, Hinata knew she had it. That was his trick to changing direction so rapidly, his mud shots and what was more she had already figured out how to predict his angle of attack. The Byakugan was truly a magnificent doujutsu; it granted a near 360 degree field of sight, it could see through solid objects and lay bare chakra to the user, but most importantly it far out stripped the fabled Sharingan in the ability of insight, allowing the truly skilled user to predict with otherworldly accuracy.

It no longer mattered if she couldn't follow his movements, because by using the angle at which the mud hit an object revealed his path of movement: There, the angle of the mud meant he was going vertical at 45 degrees to the left. Another and this time he was going 15 degrees horizontal to the right. Now all she had to do was wait and pray that her reaction time was enough that she could counter his attack because she couldn't afford to let this drag on any further.

He was darting around her, as if building momentum from his circling path, and then abruptly he came hurtling toward her at 25 degrees above and to the right of her shoulder. She caught the glimpse of his fist as he came into range and pivoting struck his arm with all of her strength knocking it off path. Hinata immediately followed up with the ultimate Amatsuyanagi offensive technique the _'Sonkai no Sanrin_'.

Her fingers struck three times in three different locations with precise precision: once to the heart, immediately followed by the base of the neck and then the crown of the head. The man was dead after her first strike, but he didn't collapse like a stringless puppet until after the third strike, and Hinata dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks, hands trembling.

Because for the first time since she was four, and her father struck down her kidnapper, Hinata watched a soul die.

* * *

_Umi no Kuni, Jiro Island, thirty miles north of the Black Sand Beach…_

:

:

"That's a long way down."

Kakuzu didn't even blink at his current partners comment too busy eying the long drop in question. Also, if he acknowledged the other man then his nerves would get frayed even more than they were already. Edging closer to the edge of the waterfall, he got a better look at the isolated basin the Sanbi Jinchūriki called home.

As scenery went the location wasn't bad, and it definitely offered privacy.

As a sight for a battle though, Kakuzu wasn't so sure it worked for him. They had discussed it several times, nearly coming to blows several times, but it still left a foul taste in his mouth. Kakuzu glanced at Kisame, then back down, knowing that while it made sense for him to go in first so that Kisame could get an idea of the Jinchūriki's style he wasn't so thrilled about the entry method they'd agreed on.

It was one thing to attack the brat straight on, and another entirely to descend rapidly from over head into the lair of a Jinchūriki. Thankfully the Jinchūriki remained oblivious to their presence, most likely due to an arrogant confidence in his abilities. Grumbling once more he debated the merits of this plan, before with a final glance at Kisame, Kakuzu reluctantly discarded his cloak.

"Let's get this over with." Kakuzu muttered a moment later gathering fire chakra from his mask before leaping over the edge of the waterfall. Arms pressing tight against his sides, Kakuzu plummeted toward the basin of water below. Wind rushing past his face, he twisted his body into a slight corkscrew before forming a string of hand seals and flipped his body right side up.

Reaching the last seal, as the Jinchūriki finally noticed him Kakuzu exhaled sharply unleashing three large, successive fire balls. The burning spheres slammed into the ground, creating a thick steam as they evaporated water. Passing through the obscuring, and superheated, steam Kakuzu landed on an outcropping of rock and shifting his weight sprang forward.

No sooner had he done so than a whip of water sliced into the outcropping he'd just used. Foot touching a tree, he rebounded with a flip to the ground, just as another water whip hurtled toward his face. Skin turning to steel he batted it and the follow up whip away scornfully, then lunged directly at the source of the twin water whips.

The Jinchūriki flinched back in surprise at the charge and Kakuzu launched a hand as the stitches holding his forearm in place came undone. Catching the brat by the throat, Kakuzu jerked his extended limb back, delivering a punishing blow with his other hand. He watched the Jinchūriki flip end over end, and felt no surprise when the Mizu Bunshin he'd punched burst into water.

Ducking almost out of instinct, he allowed two whips of water to pass over head while he formed seals drawing on his earth chakra. Hands touching ground, he created a large wall made of rock before retreating. Skidding to a stop, Kakuzu leveled his arm, fingers pulled tight together, wondering what in the hell that bastard Kisame was doing.

A blast of water shattered the earth wall, but Kakuzu didn't even blink as his forearm blasted forward yet again. A second later his now clenched fist connected with the stomach of the surprised Jinchūriki. As he doubled over from lack of air, Kakuzu exploded forward at high speed, catching the Jinchūriki with an uppercut to the chin followed by a thrusting front-kick.

He watched almost dispassionately as the figure he had punched revealed itself as a Mizu Bunshin, then swore dodging as a massive dragon of water crashed into the space he had previously occupied. Sliding to a stop, he found the Jinchūriki near the basin of the waterfall forming the string of hand seals needed for another Suiton: Suiryuudan.

This Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu was countered with a hasty Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu, as were the ones that followed in rapid succession. Kakuzu had experienced plenty of ninja capable of rapid ninjutsu use, but this was by far the most impressive display. As he shattered the last one, Kakuzu darted left then sliding to a stop pulled on the earth chakra sending several rock spires exploding up at the Jinchūriki.

The Jinchūriki moved at the last second, which amusingly brought him directly into the path of a newly arrived Kisame. Yagura registered the hulking form as well as the massive sword a split second before attempting to catch the massive sword swinging toward him. As a Jinchūriki, the boy was stronger than the average ninja, but Kisame was simply in another league.

The sound of breaking bones was audible as the Jinchūriki caught the wrapped blade, a second before he went airborne. Kakuzu couldn't help the grimace of sympathy as he watched the airborne Jinchūriki slam into the rock wall of the waterfall. Of course that sympathy disappeared once Kakuzu saw the boy topple into the waiting pool of water at the base of the waterfall.

"Fuck!" Kakuzu swore, rounding on a grinning Kisame as the Sanbi Host hit the water "you idiot!"

"What?"

"You sent him into the damn water!" Kakuzu shouted at the impassive looking ninja. "He's a former Mizukage and the _Sanbi_ Jinchūriki!"

"Oh, I know," Kisame said, resting the massive blade on his shoulder "but we could use a challenge."

Kakuzu thought about incinerating the man immediately, but he decided instead to focus on capturing the Jinchūriki. Hunching his body, his muscles bulged and shifted as the stitches the held his limbs together strained, before four black masses of thread escaped his back. The odd-winged shape of the eagle mask launched itself into the air, the demonic large-cat shape of the tiger mask began stalking its prey, the misshapen human figure of the Bull mask crouched in preparation, and the hulking body of the Ox mask stomped its foot gearing up for a charge.

Straightening up, Kakuzu watched as the surface undulated before rising up in a familiar shape; a largish creature with a gray outline for its body, and a vague hint of an ill-defined face. Kakuzu began to motion the Bull and Ox forward to deal with it, when Kisame rushed forward without hesitation to engage the monstrosity.

The large creature lashed out, ill-defined hands smashing into the surface of the water as Kisame dodged each blow. It was interesting to watch as the creature grew more agitated at not being able to hit its target, but more interesting was when Kisame decided to slice an arm off instead of dodge and the creature howled in pain. That clued Kakuzu into something somewhat key, this creature was anything but a mindless construct of chakra, it was something alive.

Still, watching as Kisame went to town against it, Kakuzu knew he needed to attack. This was probably just a delaying tactic while the Jinchūriki accessed a tailed state. But on the other hand, the more he knew about the enemies techniques the better he could formulate an idea on how to counter them.

As the minutes stretched onward, Kakuzu began to notice something odd about the creature. When Kisame had started the fight, the thing had been extremely powerful and fast, but now it was slower. Each missed hit created smaller and smaller waves, as if it were dying and Kakuzu felt like an idiot for not realizing why sooner.

Samehada absorbed chakra, which in turn made Kisame even more insanely powerful, which explained his fearsome reputation. Kakuzu had firsthand knowledge of that sword, having encountered it in the hands of a previous wielder, but somehow it always seemed to slip his mind. Shaking his reflection about the sword off, he noted as the creature released a death scream before exploding into a shower of water.

"Damn it." Kakuzu muttered a minute later, looking around the damn Jinchūriki hadn't been entering a tailed state, it had been escaping. Turning to glare at his partner, perhaps even to lash out in frustration, he found the man staring down at the pool of water, as if searching its depths.

A second later the water seemed to swell upward, before blasting high into the sky. Kakuzu stared after the blast of water for a second, obviously an attack, then looked back in time to find a chakra encased Jinchūriki charging him. Drawing earth chakra from his earth mask, as the Ox and Bull fled, Kakuzu brought his hands forward grabbing the charging Jinchūriki by the shoulders.

The force of the impact forced Kakuzu back, almost buckling his arms. Still the attack was stopped, leaving Kakuzu to struggle against the bastard while a chakra tail began to form. Grunting, Kakuzu pushed away from the chakra encased Jinchūriki, planting a kick to its chin as the Ox and Bull Masks reappeared unleashing their attacks in unison.

Landing heavily, Kakuzu winced at the jarring pain that shot up his leg, though the searing pain in his hands was more important. Grabbing a chakra shell like that was not the smartest thing to do, but he hadn't had much choice. Looking up from his hands, Kakuzu mentally recalled the Tiger and Eagle mask, unleashing their techniques on the Jinchūriki as well.

A second later the four hearts, and nearby trees, were tossed away by an ear piercing roar revealing Yagura. The chakra shell before had been somewhat clear, but now it was solid forming miniature Sanbi which was roughly the size of a single story house, with two tails trailing behind it. The MiniSanbi charged, with surprising speed despite the bulky look, each step shaking the ground.

In mid-charge however, the MiniSanbi was driven into the ground by an impact from over head. Said impact was caused by a very angry Hoshigaki Kisame, who had one foot standing on its neck and another on its back. Snarling Kisame lifted Samehada, sans bandages and in a reverse grip, high over head before driving it down between his feet.

The MiniSanbi howled at the impact, its arms flexed and scrabbled at the ground as its two tails thrashed wildly. Thankfully the MiniSanbi couldn't summon enough movement to free itself or even shift position. Samehada on the other hand seemed to be growing larger, the spikes vibrating as they grew larger and a faint glow was beginning to surround the living weapon.

Kakuzu turned his attention from the now trapped creature and toward gathering his hearts: Ox and Tiger returned first, Eagle came next followed by a limping Bull. Kakuzu knew he needed to put the wounded heart out of it misery, but he couldn't spare the time right now. Instead he took it back into his body and began releasing a few of his stitches in preparation for the looming capture.

Cracks were beginning to spider web across the shell of the MiniSanbi, faintly grayish chakra glowing from between them. The creature uttered a deafening roar as the shell finally shattered, the grey chakra on the inside spiraling up into Samehada before flickering away into nothing. Kakuzu struck then, his tendrils piercing through the feet and hands of the sprawled Jinchūriki, before winding around each limb to hold them in place.

Kisame, hefting a Samehada that seemed to be dancing, causally slapped a Ma Tobatsu O-fuda in place. The Jinchūriki went rigid a second before thrashing pointlessly against the tendrils until it finally went still. Oddly enough, instead of passing out as the other Jinchūriki had, this one remained awake until Kisame took care of that with a boot to the jaw.

Jinchūriki subdued, Kakuzu released the tendrils and then glared at his partner. This could have gone a lot worse and nearly had, the only saving grace was that Kisame had been wielding Samehada. Moving forward, Kakuzu scooped the prone form up slinging him over his shoulder, happy that at least this whole thing was over with.

"I hope the next Jinchūriki actually has some training in how to use its Bijū." Kisame said trailing after him.

* * *

_Outside the Hokage Tower..._

:

:

It's funny the things that will go through your mind while fighting, not that she was supposed to be fighting in the first place. Which was what prompted the stray thoughts of her childhood in Yugakure –formerly Yugakure no Sato- to the forefront. The village had decided to abandon their past along with all reminders of it, so where a few years prior she might have been a celebrated child, Guren was now something to be shunned.

Her parents had said to ignore them but Guren had never been able to, so she fought until they finally left the hostile village. Not that it had done much good, because Orochimaru eventually came along and wiped out the town (including her parents) they had settled in single-handedly. As much as Guren envied his power, a part of her also thought that it served her parents right for refusing to use their abilites anymore.

But yes, she was remembering all of that because she wasn't supposed to be fighting, Guren was supposed to do was lay low, maintain her _Shōton: Suishō Meikyū no Jutsu_ and when signaled provided the extraction. That was why they had brought the Shi-nin along as distraction, why Anko insisted on bringing along one of the 'Awakened' Shi-nin: but apparently she had failed to take into account that these Konoha bastards wouldn't just focus on their visible enemies.

Or maybe Anko **had** thought if it and decided she didn't care, the woman was a seriously twisted individual.

Her absent-minded reflections were cast aside however when she registered something hurtling toward her. Her eyes widened as she realized that this Tenzo had just transformed one of his arms into a tree and was sending it at her; worse it was branching out! Back peddling Guren flung her hand back creating a giant crystal shuriken, and taking aim hurled it at the center of the rapidly approaching branch.

Back hitting the wall, Guren planted her foot at the base and then launched into the air pulling her right arm back as she descended, crystal beginning to form and lengthen around it. A second later it finished taking shape and she drove her spear made of crystal at the ANBU Commander, only for numerous wooden pillars to sprout from either side of the ground and create a dome barrier.

The impact of her crystal spear against the wooden barrier jarred her arm, creating tiny cracks through the crystal's surface. Snarling in frustration she used her _Shoton: Kessho Yari_ as a pivot point to throw her momentum forward, sending her hurtling toward a rooftop while allowing the technique to break apart and rain crystal shards in her wake. It wouldn't do much damage, but it would at least by her some time.

Rebounding off the side of the building, with a slight spin so she could face her opponent Guren landed in a crouch and brought her hands together in a seal. Her chakra spiked and a circle of light formed around the man's feet, revealing that her discarded crystal shards were in place and ready. A moment later with a flash of light her _Shōton: Suishō Rō no Jutsu_ exploded into being, completely encasing the man within its confines.

Standing slowly, she offered the trapped man a faint smirk of satisfaction, only to register a minute later that there were four wooden walls rapidly sprouting up around her. Suddenly she understood that he wasn't trying to kill her, but rather capture her, which was a very bad idea on all fronts as far as Guren was concerned. Hands coming together she formed several rapid hand seals before unleashing a wave of chakra.

An instant later several massive hexagonal pillars of crystal exploded up from the ground and out, shattering the wooden prison and tearing through nearby buildings', while lifting Guren high into the air with a central pillar. Panting heavily from the chakra required for the technique, and unable to spot her enemy, she observed her surroundings: The Awakened Shi-nin codenamed Princess Kasumi by Anko was easy to find due to her proximity and her white mask marked with a red snake. Thankfully she seemed no worse for the wear, and while it was hard to tell Princess Kasumi might have been on her fourth team of ANBU, possibly her fifth.

Her focus shifted back to her own battle when she registered her crystal pillar trembling, which should have been impossible. A moment later her pillar shuddered and then began to lurch to the side, as did all of the others, forcing her to abandon her perch. Hands coming up, she molded chakra while allowing one of her pillars to shatter as she activated her _Shōton: Hashō Kōryū_ using the pre-crystallized material to create a dragon of crystal to catch her in mid-fall.

Secure on the large crystal dragon and now mobile in the air, Guren looked at the ground to see what exactly had happened, only to find a large yawning chasm where the street had been. On both sides of the upturned chasm there was collapsing structures, and Guren grimaced as she realized that the man had decided to risk major collateral damage just to try and capture her. If the man was willing to go _this_ far, she dreaded what he would attempt next.

Thankfully she was saved from finding out as she registered the faint vibration of the crystal ring on her forefinger, signalling that Anko was ready for extraction. Guren allowed a tight smile to form as she formed the 'dragon' hand seal, causing her _Shōton: Suishō Meikyū no Jutsu_ surrounding the Hokage Tower to explode outward in a massive casscade of crystal shards. While those nearby were busy searching for cover, Guren directed her crystal dragon toward where she knew Anko would be waiting for her.

As an extra bonus, Anko seemed to have decided to help out by flooding the area with a Kirigakure no Jutsu, covering the street and immediate buildings in an impenetrable thick fog.

There was a muffled 'thump' as a body landed on the dragon behind Guren, before Anko hissed a command. "Move."

"This won't cover us once we get further out." Guren said while prompting her dragon to spiral upward before sending it racing toward the nearest wall.

"I know." Anko muttered, her gaze focusing on the village beneath her. A second later two massive snakes exploded from the ground a bit further out, demolishing buildings as they thrashed around.

"That'll work." Guren muttered softly, urging the dragon to move faster.

"It's a shame," Anko said, her gaze not wavering an iota from the chaos filling the village "I liked the dango here."

"Anko-sama," Guren said slowly, uneasy with how detached the other woman seemed. "Did you, is the Hokage-"

"I did exactly what I was supposed to." Anko answered flatly.

"What do you mean?"

"Guren just shut up," Anko snarled, head snapping around so she could glare at her "and get us to the rendezvous location!"

Guren nodded sharply and turned away, disturbed both by the insanity blazing in the other woman's eyes and the tears.

* * *

AN:

When I use the term 'soul' at the end of Hinata's fight, I mean the literal immortal soul. The first time she saw the soul die was during the attempted kidnapping when she was a child, and yes so far she is the only Hyuga so far that can see this phenomena. My unpublished and unfinished fic called 'Naruto: Time Skip' has a scene where she's talking with Hanabi explaining the whole sitaution.

Also, just so you can understand the technique and how how devestating it is on the user I've included the technique as it appears in my notes.

_**Name: **__Sonkai no Sanrin [Destruction of the Three Wheels]_  
Rank: S [Stirctly Forbidden]  
Range: Close

This technique is the parent of the Sokushi Dageki found in modern Jūken. It is performed by striking all three of the death points in a rapid fire pattern, thus the name as you are destorying the souls cycle of death and rebirth, thus killing it forever.

The three points are:

Chest - Chain of Fate (Breaks the Chain of Fate)  
Base of Neck - Cycle of Rebirth (Disrputs the Cycle of Rebirth)  
Crown of the Head - Enlightenment (Demise of Englightenment)

Also, now you know what is actually happening each time Hanabi uses one of these 'death points': She's killing not only a body, but a soul.

**Izanami no Kougake:** Gauntlet of Izanami. (The name I gave for the 'petrifaction gauntlet' Ishidate used as seen in Naruto Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom)

As Always, I hope you enjoyt he chapter and if you seen any missing '"' or line breaks let me know.


	38. Chapter 36: Am I Evil

**Naruto: **Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 36:  
_-Am I Evil-_  
By Geor-sama  


* * *

_December 29th_

* * *

_Somehwere in Kumo Controlled Region 6...  
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_:  
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Jumping from tree trunk to tree trunk praying that he could make it far enough away, Mitsuharu glanced back to check for a pursuer. Finding nothing trailing him, the Tokubetsu Jōnin turned his attention forward once more, hands almost trembling. The ambush had not been his idea as a matter of fact Mitsuharu had wanted to just leave the samurai alone.

They were wounded and besides, they were no threat. But his squad leader, Renji, insisted that they needed to be taken out because they were obviously the ones trying to convince Kumo that Uzumaki was still alive. Once they were gone, the whole hoax would be revealed as nothing more than a weak attempt at psychological warfare.

Never mind that the four dead Kumo ninja were all Jōnin and capable of handling wounded samurai, or the fact that each dead ninja had been found minus forehead protectors in progressively more ominous and grotesque states. Hell, never mind the fact that rumor had it that there were even _more_ bodies but that the Regional Commander was suppressing the information.

Say what you would about Renji, but the man could sway the thoughts of others. Even Mitsuharu had been swayed, samurai were no big deal and if the rest wanted to do this then so be it. So they had set the ambush, scouted the enemy location and then as the samurai settled in for the night sprung the trap.

The samurai had not been expecting the sudden hail of shuriken, kunai or lightning ninjutsu. As ambushes went it went off perfectly, as if they had been preparing for days instead of hours. Mitsuharu had even felt a rush of relief as he unleashed his weapons into the unsuspecting enemy: at least until the ninja showed up.

Renji was the first to die, a sphere of chakra slamming into his sternum with enough force to send the ninja flying. Aiko had actually managed to engage her enemy in a Taijutsu exchange, while a crackling sword of lightning suddenly protruded through the chest of Ahikiko from behind. Mitsuharu had run for all he was worth.

That was why he was leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk, this way he couldn't possibly leave a trail in the snow or branches. Breathing a little easier, secure in the knowledge that he had managed to give any pursuers the slip, he relaxed. Then in mid-leap toward the next trunk, several something's zipped past his head to hit the ground and an explosion knocked him backwards.

Hitting his head against the hard packed snow, he became dazed even as his body flipped with the momentum. By the time he managed to recover and scramble to his feet, he registered a presence closing in fast from behind. Twisting around he fired off several kunai which went wide and high due to his impaired senses, which left him open to the punch that slammed into his chest followed by a kick to the chin that lifted him off the ground.

A second later both of his arms were yanked back before blades pierced his wrists pinning them to either side of the tree trunk. Mitsuharu cried out in pain, mind rebelling and his breathing now labored. His training kicked in a minute later and forcing his way through the pain, planted his feet on the base of the tree and using chakra supported his body weight there.

His breathing eased up, but the pain in his wrists from the new angle nearly overwhelmed him. A second later a new pain shot through him and he screamed as a pair of kunai tore through his feet pinning them to the tree as well. Panting, struggling to force his way through the pain as all ninja were trained to he looked around trying to find his attacker.

Mitsuharu stopped breathing the second he finally did catch sight of the enemy: Blond hair, blue eyes, whisker marks wearing a tattered black and orange jacket.

"Hullo." Naruto said cheerily, waving before he shook the sleeve of his jacket back to show his wrist "Interesting fact, did you know that there's a gap between these two bones in the forearm at the wrist? You can actually be hung from them. I know, strange huh?"

Mitsuharu fought valiantly to stay silent as well as continue to block the pain, not willing to give this bastard any satisfaction. Naruto however, was staring at him thoughtfully, grinning in a way that made Mitsuharu extremely uneasy. Whatever hope he'd held that perhaps this Naruto was reasonable was lost with that smile.

"Of course, if you're not careful you can nick the arteries in the wrist. Bleeding out isn't fun." Here Naruto paused, his tone growing thoughtful "Which I suppose is kinda funny, ok not a 'haha' funny, but funny since done up like this you don't have a pleasant death ahead."

"M-monster." Mitsuharu managed before he cried out as the blades in his wrist were twisted. Forcing the pain out of his mind, he focused and realized there were Kage Bunshin on either side of him.

"Hey, I'm just making conversation." Naruto countered, sounding put out, before he grinned again "You know, I think I like you. So tell you what, let's make a deal. You tell me honest answers to a few questions I have and I _won't_ leave you out here to die from frostbite, blood loss or being eaten by wolves."

"Heh, mercy killing?" Mitsuharu managed, biting through his inner cheek to stifle the screams as the blades were twisted again.

"Actually, I'll let you deliver a message for me."

Mitsuharu took several deep breaths, instinctually swallowing the blood and flesh in his mouth, considering the possibility of defying this bastard. It would be the right thing to do, at least from a Kumo ninja standpoint. On the other hand, he didn't want to die, and especially not like some sort of overgrown butterfly.

"Well? I'm sorta in a hurry here." Naruto said, his tone impatient.

"I won't tell you anything."

"You don't even know what I want to ask." Naruto countered, moving closer as he continued in a friendly fashion "How about just three questions? Nothing about your forces here in Nami or anything like that, just three harmless questions. Could you do that for me?"

"Three questions?" Mitsuharu echoed, debating the situation. With those sort of stipulations, it would be less cowardly and besides he could always _lie_ it wasn't like this bastard would know.

"Yup," Naruto said, grinning before holding a finger up "but you have to answer them honestly."

"Ok…"

"Great! Ok, first question, how far is it from here to Region 5?"

"Two days." Mitsuharu answered with a half-lie, closing his eyes to reinforce his block on the pain in his body. It was growing worse by the minute and even his breathing was getting labored from the position he was forced to hold and the fluid filling his mouth.

"You sure?" Naruto asked, followed by the blades in Mitsuharu's wrist twisting.

"Gah! Yes, d-damn it, I'm sure!" Mitsuharu shouted, blood flying from his mouth, his body protesting.

"Ok, second question: Which of the Four Divine Thunders killed Mitarashi Anko?" Naruto asked, not bothered in the least with the blood now decorating his face and jacket.

"S-sorry, can't tell you. Y-you said no ques-questions about- " Mitsuharu managed, before being cut off as a hand slammed into his throat while pushing his head back painfully against the tree before it began to squeeze, further constricting his airway.

"I'm tired of asking this question!" Naruto hissed, his face contorted in fury as his whisker marks darken ominously. "My sister is dead, killed by one of the Four Divine Thunders and if you think trying to defy me is going to keep me from finding out which one You. Are. Wrong!"

"I'm not-" Mitsuharu started until the hand tightened around his throat and Naruto's tone became a harsh whisper.

"If you don't tell me, I'm going to keep finding and killing Kumo ninja. I won't stop until the streets and mountains of Kumo run red with blood. I will kill _**every**_ living thing in Kumo until I find out what I want to know!"

Mitsuharu struggled to breathe, forgetting about his pain even as his bodily functions gave out, because he was staring into the eyes of something that terrified him beyond words. No matter how long he lived, he would never be able to forget those eyes that shifted from blue to black and then a glowing red, nor would he forget the vast killing intent overwhelming his every sense or the way that hand flexed around his throat: but mostly it would be the rage boiling within that gaze.

It was not vengeance, or righteous fury. What was in that gaze was something deep, dark and incomprehensible. The closest Mitsuharu could ever come to describing it was a bottomless all-consuming, bloody rage: The sort of rage that once unleashed would consume everything it touched.

"Katsura-" Mitsuharu choked out, his terror outweighing any sense of loyalty. "Katsura Ikazuchi."

"Who?" Naruto growled, the hand around his throat relaxing.

"Katsura Ikazuchi." Mitsuharu wheezed, praying and crying. "He's the one you want."

"Thanks." Naruto said, suddenly releasing him. Coughing, wheezing, and crying Mitsuharu hung there. It was more than just the lack of oxygen, or the pain in his body, it felt as if something unspeakablely dark had crawled into his soul and burrowed a home. "Third question, why?"

"W-why?"

"Why?"

"I-I don't know…" Mitsuharu whispered, blood staining the snow beneath him and refusing to look up at the monster. He did note that Naruto almost sounded like he was laughing, as if his earlier actions had never happened. Two cracks from either side of Mitsuharu told him the pair of Kage Bunshin had just been released.

"Good answer." Naruto said, nodding "now the message: I want Katsura Ikazuchi. Until I get him, I will slaughter every Kumo ninja I can."

"R-right." Mitsuharu managed, lifting his head to check on if the monster was still there before screaming instinctually as a pair of Kunai scraped either side of his neck before they hit the tree. Eyes wide he stared into those red eyes.

"I wouldn't fall asleep." Naruto paused, his tone growing ominous "I might come back."

After this day Mitsuharu would never sleep longer than an hour and would be terrified of the dark. His career as a ninja was over, he would spend the rest of his life living on a modest pension a virtual prisoner in his own home. Still, Mitsuharu was the luckiest man alive.

He had just stared into an abyss of unearthly rage, and lived.

* * *

_Nami no Kuni, Konoha Forward Command Center...  
:_

_:  
_

Shikamaru was not stupid; this was as much due to the fact of his genetics as it was that he simply couldn't afford it. Even from a young age he had been required to be smarter than most everyone else, if only so that he could enjoy being lazy. Shinobi accepted a lazy genius easier than a lazy idiot, and since Shikamaru was naturally lazy being a genius was a serious requirement.

All of that being said, even genius's were prone to making mistakes and feeling like idiots afterward.

For Shikamaru it had been with Tōu, he had been uneasy around her when she first arrived but he had still made her his lieutenant. Tōu had proven effective in organizing and managing the day-to-day affairs of the Command Center, and Shikamaru had gradually dismissed his earlier unease. Only now he knew that if anything, he should have become even more uneasy with her and how invaluable she was proving to be.

Hindsight made it easier to see the tiny details, but that was no excuse. He shouldn't have needed the tape recorder Shizaru, one of Asuma's summoned animals had given him, to figure out that Tōu was not a person to be trusted. But he had and now, while he knew she was directly responsible for the assassination of his mentor Asuma, he could not move against her without completely destabilizing what structure he had in the Konoha forces.

At least, not yet.

That was another thing about being a genius and doing something idiotic, once they decided to fix their mistake they were extremely thorough. Shikamaru had realized that at the moment Tōu was too deeply entrenched in the current structure, and so he was taking steps to change that. The fact that it would actually help the Konoha effort in Nami no Kuni was almost a happy after thought.

Letting out a sigh Shikamaru glanced at the only other person currently present in the private office, the Kiri Commander Ao. The taller, middle aged man stared back at him with his visible eye impassively, leaving Shikamaru no other choice, but to close his eyes and rest his head against the wall. It wasn't that he was intimidated by the Kiri ninja, but rather that neither had anything to talk about.

Still, he did owe the man and his forces some gratitude: Ao had been happy to help Shikamaru when he started looking into the situation, because they had realized almost immediately the duplicitous nature of Tōu. So they had made it a point to observe everything they could about her and those she interacted with, making it that much easier for Shikamaru to start correcting his earlier mistake.

A moment later the door to the office opened, allowing Tōu and her two biggest supporters to enter. Right on time for the short-notice strategic planning session Shikamaru had announced yesterday, and none of them could be suspicious. Tōu was his lieutenant, Kagura Head of ANBU (and her personal bodyguard), while Sukima was the Chief of the Intelligence Analysts: they were each at the top of the command structure.

"Now that we're all here," Shikamaru said moving to the large table in the center of the office, gaze drifting over the map of Nami no Kuni "let's get started."

"Someday we'll fix those people skills." Tōu said jokingly, joining him.

"All of this," Shikamaru said, gesturing at the wider area of Nami, while ignoring her remark like usual "belongs to Kumo. While this-" Shikamaru pointed to three islands "belongs to us."

The others made faint noises of acknowledgment, but remained quiet, allowing him to continue.

"We know why this happened." Shikamaru said shortly, looking up at them blandly.

"We're undermanned and most of our forces aren't used to fighting an actual war." Kagura said dismissively, crossing her arms.

"Partially." Shikamaru responded equally blandly, refusing to rise to her bait. "But it's also because we've organized ourselves in such a troublesome fashion, failing to take into account that we have not one front line but two, with wildly differing circumstances."

"'Wildly different' is stretching things a bit." Tōu said, her lips twitching into a faint frown.

"Perhaps, but you do agree with my other point correct?" Shikamaru asked, biting back his annoyance, and when she nodded he continued "Good. Now another problem is that not only do we face two front lines, instead of one, we're also trying to run the war from a centralized command that's so far removed from the actual battles that any strategy we create isn't viable against the rapidly changing conditions."

"How exactly did you arrive at that conclusion?" Kagura asked, sounding amused, as if he was proving his stupidity.

"Look at Region 6 at as an example; we lost it as much because they were under-manned as the fact that the Region Commander had to constantly wait for our approval of any movement he made. He had so little autonomy that he couldn't adapt anything to the changing situation he faced."

"Konoha is even further removed from the front lines than us, but they don't have a problem with this structure." Sukima objected, frowning.

"Perhaps not," Tōu said, studying the map thoughtfully "But they do have long established reliable methods of communication and more personnel."

"Exactly," Shikamaru said while scratching his cheek. "So I've decided that we need to change our structure."

"How so?" Kagura asked, and despite her lack of outward interest, Shikamaru knew that she was studying him.

"It's a two part process." Shikamaru answered, wondering if she instinctively suspected what he was trying to do. "The first step, and the easiest, is that we move our centralized command closer to the front lines. Preferable to Region 3 or 4, as they are directly center of the territory we control."

"Hmm, that's not a bad idea." Tōu admitted, reaching out to gesture at the border "However, that will leave Region 1 unwatched and Kumo could invade from Region 18 to the north."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered before explaining "while we'll be moving the Central Command forward, we'll obviously leave a Field Command behind to ensure the security of the territory that we do control."

"So the second part?" Sukima asked nervously, hand twitching as he tapped his thigh.

"The second part will be harder," Shikamaru explained, shrugging "we'll be granting the Region Commanders more autonomy. So, in effect it will result in the creation of semi-independent Command Posts that will be able to carry on two 'separate wars' simultaneously."

"So instead of one centralized command structure, we have three?" Tōu asked, clearly surprised and intrigued.

"Technically, four. Don't forget about the Field Command we'll be leaving behind." Shikamaru corrected blandly, shoving hands in his pockets while looking at the group "When this happens we'll effectively be dividing our responsibilities into two portions. The Centralized Command will handle the 'Grand Strategy', the overall management of our resources and the larger goals. The two Field Commands will handle the 'Military Strategy', the planning and control of our forces and the best way to achieve the ultimate objective of the 'Grand Strategy' issued to each individual front line."

"What did the Kiri Commander have to say about all of this?" Sukima asked, eyes darting nervously to the large, blue-haired man standing just separate from the rest of the group.

"I think it's worth trying." Ao answered, while keeping his arms crossed. "To be honest this high-level strategy isn't my thing, the previous Mizukage didn't train ninja for such considerations. But it seems like a solid plan, so if it'll help keep Kiri safe then I'm all for it."

"It's going to be chaotic shifting things around like this." Tōu murmured, before sighing "But I guess we can try."

"Good." Shikamaru said, looking at her "As for it being chaotic, I think it'd be best if we sent representatives to explain the changes and help out."

"Representatives? As in plural?" Kagura asked bluntly, eyeing him closely. "First off I don't think this is a worthwhile idea, we only have one front line now remember. The border between Region 5 and Region 6."

"Mah, how bothersome," Shikamaru huffed, staring at her impassively "Sukima?"

"Ahu, yes, right." Sukima said, jerking slightly in surprise before turning to Kagura "The thing is, Kagura-san, our forces are working toward creating a beachhead within Region 6. Taking advantage of the chaos in the region this will create, we've already sent orders that a secondary force will leave from Region 2 and attempt to create a beach head in Region 7 or 8."

"Oh." Kagura murmured, scowling at Shikamaru.

"So who did you have in mind?" Tōu asked after a protracted moment, her gaze finally turning to him and away from the map.

"The list is rather short. We need those used to dealing with complicated situations and have extensive leadership qualities." Shikamaru said, fighting the urge to yawn. "But I thought maybe you could go with the group in Region 2 and oversee that operation, while Kagura goes to Region 6."

"What about me?" Sukima asked.

"I think you'd do best here, helping me out. With Tōu-san away I'll need another second in command." Shikamaru said, glancing at the other man before glancing at the other two. Kagura was grinding her teeth, but he was worried with the calculating look Tōu had. "Do either of you have an objection to this?"

"No, it's a sound idea and your choices make sense." Tōu said before Kagura could open her mouth. "So what are the 'Grand Strategies' for our Regions?"

"We'll start with Region 5, the largest of the battle lines." Ao said, for the first time taking an active role in the discussion. "We know that the enemy headquarters is roughly located here -" indicating the Island designated as Region 15 "When they managed to capture Region 6 they created a buffer between us and their headquarters. So the overall strategy is obvious, they have to retake that region and then aim for the Kumo leadership in Region 15."

"But what about Region 17 to the north of Region 6? Won't Kumo forces simply flood in from there?" Sukima said, sounding anxious.

"That's an issue that'll have to be left to Region 6 Command." Shikamaru said "Kagura, I believe The Kiri Commander is Tsurugi, and the Konoha Commander is Genma."

"Very Well." The ANBU Leader said flatly, staring at Tōu hard.

"As for the forces from Region 2, once they establish the beach head, they'll have a long road ahead of them." Ao said, his tone growing more menacing. "They're ultimate goal will be Region 14, which is where the commanders of the intended Kumo Invasion of Kiri are located."

"You expect them to fight through Regions 7 through 12 with just the forces we have?" Tōu said, sounding incredulous.

"Remember that's just the 'Grand Strategy'." Shikamaru interrupted, shrugging "besides we'll be sending more reinforcements as we can. Plus, we know there are more Kiri forces on the way, so we just have to keep the pressure on until then."

As Tōu nodded in reluctant acceptance, Shikamaru breathed a little easier. Now that he had effectively broken her core supporters apart, he only had to wait until the new structure was established and then he could remove Kagura and Tōu.

* * *

_The gale tore at her, sending its bite deep within her even as the shouts of others were lost amidst the storm. Holding to the rail tightly, she cast her gaze out across to the other ships. They were pitching horrible on the sea, and then turning back she moved forward to grasp a flailing line when the ship heeled forcing her to reenforce the chakra holding her to the deck. _

_Swearing she glanced around at the other hurrying people, then noted that the sails were trimmed. Struggling forward she fumbled with the rope and tie it off. _

_"REEF!" Someone shouted, the gale winds at both carrying and muffling the scream. _

_Abruptly the galley swerved and she pitched forward painfully against the railing driving the air out of her. Another sharp pitch and the gunwale was under water sending her over the side - _

Hisame woke suddenly, a sharp shiver racing through her body and for a moment she believed herself to be dreaming, because she was ashore and alive. That seemed impossible, Hisame knew for a fact that she should have died after being washed overboard. She had been disorientated and unable to concentrate, a storm at sea should have taken care of her immediately.

Sitting up slowly, Hisame took in the small room noting that it was both very clean and very average. Tossing the thick quilt to the side, Hisame noted the scarlet tray with a few bowls from a half-eaten meal. Hisame grabbed the bowl wolfing down the vegetables while ignoring the sour taste. She also finished the remains of a porridge using her fingers and washed it all down with the last remains of a cup of sake.

Satisfied she looked around the room yet again trying to get a feel for the place. Through some miracle the storm must have washed her ashore and someone found her. Noting that she was dressed in dry and well mended clothes she supposed the meal had belonged to whoever had taken care of her and considering the room it must've been a woman, men very rarely kept things so clean and tidy or did such excellent jobs at mending clothes.

Something else to support her theory that her benefactor was female was the fact that she had woken up dressed. If it had been a man, the odds were good that she would have woken up naked not that Hisame particularly cared about that prospect. Kiri ninja (even ones that had defected from other villages) were very desensitized to nudity and sex, it interfered too much with survival and Kiri ninja were survivors.

Where other ninja might do things only in a last ditch effort to survive, Kiri ninja did such things instinctively.

So if her mysterious benefactor (male or female) wanted sex in return for saving her life Hisame wouldn't object. Not that she would enjoy it, but it would greatly increase the odds of them saving her life again. Then again, the odds were also good that her benefactor might have someone they needed removed or maybe they were genuinely helpful and would want nothing in return.

With a mental shrug, she decided it didn't matter after defecting from Ame and joining Kiri, Hisame was open to anything. At the sound of the door opening, she turned to meet her savior only to stare in surprise. Chōjūrō, a newly instated member Kiri's Seven Swordsmen, was the last person she expected to see given recent events.

The younger boy paused before he smiled revealing his sharpened teeth and ran a hand through his short, cyan colored hair. Other than having shorter hair, Chōjūrō looked no different than the last time Hisame had seen him: Striped shirt, oddly desinged vest bearing his Kiri forehead protector, camo pants and his black-rimmed glasses attached to those headphones.

"Hisame-san, I'm glad you're awake!"

"Chōjūrō," Hisame returned, puzzling over the situation "Did your ship save me?"

"Well, uh, not exactly." Chōjūrō the boy said, grinning nervously as he began rubbing his neck "S-see, uhm, well I got swept overboard too. Several of us did, about ten all totaled."

"Ten?" Hisame asked, moving to sit down on her bed, which seemed to cue Chōjūrō to take his seat on a nearby chair. "So, what happened?"

"Well I saw you go overboard, not that I knew it was you at the time, and when I went overboard I made it a point to get to you. The odds were better if there were two of us when we made it shore." Chōjūrō paused, grinning again "I was surprised when the others turned up."

"I bet."

"Things went a little bad after that. They seemed of the opinion that we should stay 'dead' and form our own village."

"Oh." Hisame said, knowing that it wasn't uncommon, but they had picked the wrong person to approach about that option. "I take it they were dealt with?"

"Swiftly." Chōjūrō confirmed, his ruthlessness clear. There was a reason why he had been chosen as a member of the Seven swordsmen. Well that and the simple fact that he was the firmest supporter of the current Mizukage. "Afterwards, I built a fire and dried our clothes, got food and so on. Then while you were unconscious, I scouted around, trying to get a lay of the situation."

"How long was I out?"

"About a week," Chōjūrō said "we ended up in Region 8, which was Kumo occupied territory. I moved us north traveling by night, keeping to the hills and lesser paths using Mizu Bunshin to carry you, trying to locate any Konoha forces."

"Did we find any?"

"Ah, uhm, no. Last firm information had Region 6 as solid Konoha territory, but well, when I got to Region 6 I learned otherwise. Apparently rather than fight a lost battle Konoha retreated to Region 5 and dug in."

"So, where are we?" Hisame asked, feeling more than a little annoyed with the current situation.

"Right now? In some town at an Inn, it's not much, but it's safe. We're still in Region 6-"

"Why?"

"Well, see, I erm, picked up some information that says there's a group of Konoha ninja trapped in the Region. Their heading for Region 5, so I've been trying to track them."

"Ah," Hisame said, smiling "that would make things a bit easier."

"Yes, I believe we're close behind them."

* * *

Naruto grimaced as the final clone dispersed giving him the distinct pleasure of their experience, digging twenty-five graves was a lot of work and he had just felt every second of it. Breathing out sharply, his breath misting, he looked around the small clearing tiredly knowing that he needed to say something: the last thing he needed was a bunch of restless spirits haunting him.

Still his mind was drawing a blank, he'd buried others before and he couldn't really remember anything. The funeral for the Sandaime had been filled with speeches from important people, as had the one for Princess Kazahana, while he'd tuned out most everything when they had buried Anko. Letting out another heavy breath, the chill in his body growing worse he closed his eyes deciding he would just have to improvise.

"Be filled with lasting joy. The stars are your parents, and the tides of the universe your home. Find respite in the way of peace." Naruto paused, tilting his head and then shrugged. "Sorry I'm not as good with words as Ero-sennin. I hope that works though."

After another moment he turned and set out after Ino and Lee who had went ahead to scout out the surrounding area more carefully. Half an hour later he found Ino leaning against the trunk of the tree, looking exhausted. They all were and it had cost the samurai their lives: Over the last few weeks they had slept in three hour shifts, which had done little to keep them alert and why the Kumo team had managed the ambush.

"Hey." Ino managed as he reached her "Lee went on ahead."

"Ah." Naruto managed and they both set off in silence, lost in their thoughts. About an hour later they crested a hill and found Lee positioned just outside the tree line, staring at a town just ahead. It looked fairly busy, despite the fact that their land had been occupied by a hostile force but Naruto figured people still had to make a living no matter what was going on.

"There is a Kumo team guarding the main road," Lee said after another minute, his tone unusually subdued "we could avoid it. The need to stop for rest isn't as pressing."

"We can't risk it." Ino said shaking her head "I'm tired, your body needs real rest and even Naruto needs a break."

"I'm fine." Naruto offered, then meeting her challenging gaze backed off, knowing they needed the rest. Ino and Lee most definitely, chakra exhaustion was a serious risk for Ino and Lee's body still hadn't recovered from the use of his gates weeks prior. "I'll go talk to them."

Nodding, Ino promptly sat down propping her back against a tree and a moment later Lee followed her example. Naruto stood there for another minute and then set off, taking the long way around to reach the road and then follow it toward the town and the awaiting guards. With each step though, he was thinking about how he could handle this and not have to kill these guys.

He wanted to sleep and eat real food, not kill more bastards. But he had told that Kumo ninja from earlier that he would kill every Kumo ninja he came across until he got the one responsible for Anko's death. As he drew closer the Kumo ninja seemed to grow more tense, his eyes roamed the three Chūnin before he made up his mind.

It would only be fair to wait until the man delivered his message.

"Hiya guys," Naruto called, hitching a smile in place, coming to a stop just a few feet from them. They each looked so serious, but he could almost smell their fear, which he found oddly invigorating. "Your Commander around?"

"She's here." A rather brash, but feminine voice said from behind as the tip of a sword pressed against his kidneys.

"Ah." Naruto managed, glancing over his shoulder at the gold eyed and red headed woman behind him and fought the urge to swear at her getting the drop on him. His senses had to be duller than he first thought, oh well he would just bluff his way onward. "I'm-"

"I know who you are." The woman said curtly, her tone icy "Uzumaki Naruto, S-rank threat."

"I've made S-rank?" Naruto asked, in genuine surprise "Awesome. Last I heard I was supposed to be A-rank."

"Commander Karui," The younger kunoichi said, her tone cautious "There are two more ninja waiting in the woods."

"Huh, how'd you find them?" Naruto asked, looking at the girl who flinched back as the other two moved in front of her.

"I'm a sensor specialist."

"Ameno!" One of the others shouted, causing the girl to flinch again.

"Eh? What's a sensor specialist?" Naruto asked, partly because he couldn't remember and partly to keep the conversation going.

"I sense chakra."

"Ameno." Kauri said, her tone harsh and the girl promptly shut up, looking embarrassed. "Now then Uzumaki-"

"Hey, do I have a cool nickname?" Naruto suddenly asked, glancing over his shoulder again and seeing her blank look grinned brightly "Ya know, like Hitokiri or Reaper?"

"No." Kauri said in a flat tone as the tip of her sword pressed even firmer against him. "Now then, tell me one reason why I shouldn't kill you?"

"Uh, cause it wouldn't be right?" Naruto offered after several long seconds then seeing her look grinned sheepishly "Because if you do kill me then one of your comrades dies?"

"Talk." Karui hissed, the sword tip making his side flinch as it drew blood "now."

"Geez." Naruto sighed, hiding his discomfort "See, me and my team are tired. We'd like to sleep in the town here and we'd like you guys to leave... so I thought we could make an exchange. I tell you where one of your Jōnin is at so you go save him and we get to sleep in peace."

"We caught you," one of the other ninja said, sounding cocky "We can make you talk."

"Seikan," Karui said with a tone rich with long sufferance "why exactly do you think we captured him?"

"Eh?" Seikan managed.

"He's an S-rank ninja, he _let_ us catch him." Karui explained sourly. "Which is why I didn't kill him out right."

"So, Deal?" Naruto asked, really wishing he didn't have that damn sword digging into his back.

"Fine." Kauri growled, and he swore her eyes seemed to glow in her anger "Where's he at?"

"Nu uh, you first." Naruto countered, almost childishly. This seemed to infuriate Kauri who nodded curtly at her team who gave him a wide berth as they went around him. A second later the sword eased away from his back and he turned, meeting her gaze. "What is it about women with swords that turns me on so much?"

Karui's eyes narrowed even more, making it clear she was tempted to try and kill him.

"Uh, never mind." Naruto managed, nervous "He's back the way I came, shouldn't be more than three hours away. He's pinned to a tree and bleeding pretty bad but he was still alive."

"Seikan, you guys go ahead." Karui said, not looking away from him, then once they were gone fixed him with a poisonous gaze "Before this war is over, I'm going to kill you."

"Yak yak," Naruto said nonchalantly before she rounded on a heel and stormed off after her team. Relaxing, Naruto realized he was more tired than he had believed. Lee and Ino turned up a minute later, their faces drawn and eyes shadowed from lack of sleep, forcibly reminding him that while he was tired, they were on their last legs.

Together the small group entered the town, and Naruto absently noted that several of the people were looking at them in shock. No, not at _them_ but at their forehead protectors. There was no wave of hate, or anger, just a kind of shocked surprise at seeing Konoha ninja behind enemy lines.

It seemed to take an eternity to find an Inn, convince the owner to let them have a room and then make their way up it. Eventually though, they were all inside and Naruto had five Kage Bunshin setting out for guard duty. After that he promptly shrugged out of his tattered jacket and collapsed face first on the bed, followed by a duller thump as Lee dropped to the floor and he turned his head to stare at the couch expecting to see Ino curling up there.

Instead a new weight was added to the bed at his side, and he turned his head in surprise to find Ino lifting his arm as she inched closer to him. Noticing his attention she grinned faintly, her eyes glinting in amusement answering his unasked question "I'm cold and you're my boyfriend."

Naruto made an indistinct noise at this proclamation, but grinned back pulling her closer and closed his eyes. Despite Lee snoring (which sounded oddly enough like 'yosh') and Ino digging an elbow painfully into his side, it was the best nap he'd ever had.

* * *

_Nami no Kuni, Region 6...  
:_

_:  
_

Ino came out of her sleep gradually pulled by the annoyingly painful pins and needles sensation in her arm. Half-awake she attempted to roll over and free her pinned arm, but found an unusual weight pressing against her back. Her mind churned toward consciousness as her body began reporting more interesting details: the pleasantly warm breath tickling the nap of her neck, the firmness of the chest pressing against her back, the comfortable weight of an arm casually tossed over her, and most importantly the stiffness that was in direct contact with her rear.

Fully awake now, Ino realized the situation and grinned as she remembered being in a similar position as a Genin. Understandably, back then she had reacted badly to the way Naruto had pressed up against her. This time though, Ino pressed back teasing the slumbering male, which in turn elicited a firmer push against her.

Ino considered the fact that this might not be the best time for it, but her body didn't seem to care. Naruto made another firm push and her hips pushed back, and her cheeks started to burn. A moment later, things paused when Naruto made an odd noise and his muscles tensed, which made Ino pout as she had been quite enjoying the situation.

That was when the fingers on her stomach started to make soft circles.

Ino couldn't help the startled gasp that escaped her, nor could she stop the tingling that spread through her as those fingers snaked along her stomach. Ino wanted to say _something_ this was a bit more than she had planned, but it felt so good and when his hand actually managed to worm beneath the shorts she was wearing, Ino knew there was no going back if she didn't stop this now.

His fingers found their goal a second later and Ino closed her eyes, struggling to keep her moan quiet.

A feather-light kiss on her shoulder only made the tingling spread faster, and the way his fingers danced between her legs made Ino moan louder. It was incredible, she was having trouble taking full breaths, oh…it was so close…

Abruptly his fingers stopped, and Ino couldn't help the whimper of pain. That was when the angry noise of someone beating on their door registered making it sound as if they were trying to tear it down. It stopped a moment later and Ino breathed out sharply, hopeful that Naruto would continue when the knocking returned even more forcefully.

"Damn it," Naruto hissed, and started to get up, but Ino promptly clamped her legs down to trap his hand.

"Don't you **dare**."

"But…the door…" Naruto protested, albeit weakly.

"Don't care," Ino breathed out sharply, pressing against him firmly "Finish. Now."

"Okay." Naruto breathed, his hips pressing forward as his fingers started to move. A second later they lunged apart and Ino grabbed the dormant Raijin-ken from the bedside table as when the door to the room burst open with a loud crack. This was followed by a runaway blur hurtling into the room, before it tripped over a chair and slammed face first into the floor, not nearly painfully enough in Ino's opinion.

"What the-" Ino started, before the figure dissolved into a puddle of water revealing it to be a Mizu Bunshin.

"Sor-sorry!" an unfamiliar voice said, before a boy a year younger than them emerged from the doorway.

Ino took him in with a glance: short cyan colored hair, black-rimmed glasses connected to what appear to be headphones, a strapped shirt and camouflage pants. But what really drew her attention was the large, wrapped object on his back and the two sword hilts attached to it, along with the oddly designed black vest that displayed a Kiri forehead protector gleaming on his chest.

Ino had been prepared for Kumo ninja, or possibly and Akatsuki agent, not for a Kiri ninja. More curious was the way the boy flushed as he registered her attention.

"Oi, who the hell are you?" Naruto asked, sounding equally startled.

"Aha, uhm, I'm Chōjūrō a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kiri." Chōjūrō said, looking even more flustered.

"Right." Ino said slowly, clutching the hilt of Raijin-ken tighter. "So why are you busting our door down?"

"Uh, I have a good reason." He managed, glancing between them both, looking nervous. He was saved from trying to explain by the arrival of a new person, a woman with short brown hair a year or two older than Ino dressed in a rather revealing top, low slung pants and a Kiri Forehead Protector hanging casually from around her neck.

"Chōjūrō, I told you to not act rashly."

"S-sorry, Hisame-san." Chōjūrō offered glancing back at the older woman "But you were taking too long with…wait, where is he?"

"Lee-kun thought it best to keep an eye on the street." Hisame said, before nodding at Ino politely "I'm Hisame, Jōnin of Kiri. You've already met Chōjūrō."

"What the hell is going on here?" Naruto asked in a harsh tone rich with frustration.

"That's what I want to know." Ino offered just as roughly, her adrenaline fading and her anger resurfacing. If these two didn't have a good reason for interrupting her and Naruto, Ino was going to murder them.

"There's a three-man team of Kumo ninja heading into town." Hisame said.

"Eh? I just sent them off." Naruto responded, confused.

"Besides, why the hell are you two helping us? Kiri is even more isolationist then Konoha." Ino said, glowering at the two, imagining the various ways she could butcher them.

"Technically you sent a team off yesterday." Chōjūrō said, grinning uncertainly "You've been a sleep for a day and a half, we arrived a few hours ago and found Rock-san eating lunch. He and Hisame-san were still talking while I came ahead to try and warn you two."

"As for why we're helping you," Hisame said, meeting Ino's gaze firmly "we'll explain later. Right now, we have a team of Kumo ninja closing in and we need to try and get out of here."

"Too late." Naruto said, his face darkening. Seeing their various looks, he sighed grabbing his jacket from the floor "One of my Kage Bunshin just got destroyed. They're already here."

"Great." Ino muttered, retrieving her split skirt and her other sword Yuzuha from the corner.

* * *

Naruto stepped out of the now empty building as his eyes scanning the nearby rooftops, spotting the twin flashes of mirrors signaling the Kiri ninja were in position. He saw Ino exit a nearby building, a family hurrying away behind her, and when she gave him the all clear signal he breathed easier in the knowledge that they had something of a buffer zone in place. This way they should at least be able to keep damage to the village at a minimum once the fighting broke out.

Reaching up he turned on his radio as Ino approached "Lee, how's it look?"

"Yosh, they're still holding position." Lee answered "from what I can tell two of them seem agitated. Are you sure we can take the woman's word?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, glancing at Ino as she reached his side "Yugito will keep her word about this meeting, and those two won't go against her."

"Understood." Lee said, before asking very carefully "Are you sure that it would not be best for me or Ino to assist you when combating her?"

"Trust me," Naruto said, reaching up to turn the radio off "Yugito is someone only I can handle."

"Roger."

As the ear piece clicked off, he let out a near silent breath, mentally bracing for what he was about to do. Naruto had known on some level that he might have to face Yugito as an enemy, different villages after all, but it was difficult to accept. He counted her as a precious person, and he knew she held him very dear.

Perhaps he could convince her that they didn't need to fight, that would be for the best. He doubted it though, hence the preparations for the battle that was most likely to happen. When he felt a hand on his arm, he blinked out of his thoughts and glanced at Ino who stared back at him with an unusually serious gaze.

"Ino?"

"How close were you two?" Ino asked firmly and then at his silence, shifted her posture slightly "The way you say her name makes it obvious that there's something between you and Yugito."

"Oh." Naruto managed, feeling uneasy. How could he explain this situation? Especially considering the way Ino had reacted to him keeping the Kyūbi from her. He didn't want to try and deal with Ino's anger a second time, at least not with the rift from the previous argument just now mending. Seeing that Ino wasn't about to back off, he sighed "It's complicated. She's, well, she's in the same situation as me-"

"She's the one you mentioned back during our first talk. The instant death touch."

"Yeah," Naruto said, nodding "and I was the first one she couldn't kill. So we bonded and things-"

"Happened." Ino finished in an even tone "So, she was _The_ First."

Naruto stared at her blankly for a moment and then realizing what she meant nodded hesitantly, expecting her to fly off the handle on him. Instead she stood there, studying him intently before letting out a silent breath. Worried he reached up to rub the back of his head, unsure of what she was going to do or say.

"I understand." Ino said at last "and just so we're both in the know, my first time was with a Taki ninja."

"Right." Naruto managed while trying to assimilate the information, wisely keeping his anger toward the Taki ninja silent. Besides, while he might not have ever thought about it, he had never expected her to not have sex. "So, we're good now right?"

"We're good." Ino agreed, putting a hand on his chest "but can you really kill her if this goes south? I mean you have an emotional connection with her."

"If it means keeping you safe, then yes." Naruto answered without hesitation, then at her pleased if startled gaze, blinked "What? You're my girlfriend aren't you?"

"Yes." Ino said with a grin "but I thought she might be more important to you than that."

"Eh? Ino nobody is that important."

"Great!" Ino chirped, looking extraordinarily pleased with his comment, before she stepped back to straighten her hip pouch. Looking up, her face once more serious she nodded curtly "Now let's go see what your _ex_ wants."

Naruto nodded equally grim leading the way, while wondering why Ino had reacted so happily to his earlier comment. It wasn't like it was a secret or anything, shaking it off he instead focused on the looming confrontation between him and, as Ino called her, his ex. Soon enough they left the town and found Yugito alone in the middle of the street halfway to the town.

Several feet behind her stood the two other Kumo ninja. Ino touched his hand before stopping and Naruto went ahead alone, aware that this would probably be the toughest fight he'd face so far since arriving in Nami no Kuni. Nii Yugito was as beautiful as ever, and there was no doubt that she was ready for combat.

Reaching the halfway point, he hesitated while gazing at her face, unsure of what to say. Yugito seemed to be sharing this same problem and Naruto became aware of a tension building around them, one that made him uneasy.

"So." Yugito said.

"So." Naruto echoed, trying to ease the tightness in his shoulders.

"That's her." Yugito said after another moment, to which Naruto could only nod. He had told her about Ino when they had met in Kumo and she had seemed interested in seeing the other girl. Yugito scowled faintly "I don't see why she's so special."

"What?" Naruto asked, startled and bewildered.

"Nothing." Yugito said, shaking her head slightly before sighing "So, what are we going to do?"

"About the fight?" Naruto asked, and when she gave a nod he sighed shrugging "Don't suppose you could kill them for us?"

"Seriously?" Yugito asked, eyes widening.

"Worth a try." Naruto said, aware of how stupid that request had been. Then he noticed the look on Yugito's face and he realized it might not have been such a stupid idea, but it also made him a little queasy.

"Naruto," Yugito said slowly, her voice a tight whisper "if you want me to kill them I will."

"Are you serious?" Naruto asked, half hoping and half dreading the response. If she did this then she would be turning her back on Kumo, something that he could never consider doing to his own village. But then again, he liked his village and a lot of people inside it, Yugito was quite the opposite.

"For you. Yes." Yugito said, her eyes hard and dark "We might have a new Raikage and I might be treated a little better, but Kumo means nothing to me. I have no loyalty to that place or the people, so if you want me to defect I will."

"Do you want to defect?" Naruto asked, picking up on the not so subtle clues she was giving him. If **he** wanted, she would do what **he** _wanted_ her to do all he had to do was give the word. What he wanted was to avoid any unneeded fights, Ino and Lee needed more time to rest, but he couldn't just tell Yugito to defect because of that.

"Say the word and it's done." Yugito said, her gaze softening as if asking silently for permission.

"Do it." Naruto said after several long, tense moments and he felt his stomach churn even worse as her face lit up in glee.

"I'll go back, you just stand right there. They'll think I got you to agree to surrender and once I'm close enough," Yugito paused, struggling to hide her emotions. "I'll finish the job. Is there anything else?"

"Money, bingo books, weapons." Naruto said, feeling uncomfortable but hiding it. He shouldn't feel bad about this, but somehow it just seemed so wrong to him, but he couldn't take it back now that he had started down this path. At her look of acknowledgement he managed a faint smile, putting hands in his pockets "Good luck."

"Thanks." Yugito said, grinning back and then turning started back toward her two unsuspecting targets.


	39. Chapter 37: The Nishio Perimeter

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 37:  
_-The Nishio Perimeter-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

_Region 5, Nishio..._

:  
Hanabi cast a worried gaze at the evening sky, partially relieved since it brought a brief end to the fighting for the day. Since her arrival a few weeks ago, there had been an increasingly large number of assaults, well they were more skirmishes, but it still bothered her. Because while Konoha still retained the city, Hanabi had the sinking feeling that a more serious attack was looming.

That was why she had decided to survey the front lines and see what they would be facing, while the other captains were busy taking stock of their forces and the Commander sent a report to Region 1. Sidestepping a crater in the street, Hanabi turned to the right and mounted the stairs to the makeshift wall that the samurai were hurriedly repairing.

Weaving her way through the warriors, though some did move out of her way, peeking every so often over the ramparts. Nothing near the walls, or down the road, or among the sloping mountain corridor that led to the city. But they were out there, plotting on how best to bypass their defenses, Hanabi could feel it.

"You should be resting." Looking to her side, she found the grim faced Region Commander Genma moving to stand beside her. Seeing he had her attention he elaborated "You haven't gotten much rest in the last few weeks, especially after the loss of Sarugaku-san."

"I'm not tired." Hanabi answered, shrugging as she turned her attention back to the darkness "Besides, now is not the time to rest. They held the initiative; if they had continued pushing they could have taken this city and broken through the perimeter."

"They've been testing our strength." Genma said, selecting a senbon needle from his waist. "Tomorrow will be the first real assault on our position."

Hanabi didn't respond, what could she say to such blunt honesty? It was also frightening since they had nearly overwhelmed them through sheer numbers today. They had lost a whole team of ninja and two hundred of samurai just to keep the enemy from sweeping them under.

Hanabi felt a stab of anger at Naruto, wishing that he was here where he should be.

Unlike the rest of her team, or the other Konoha ninja, she refused to simply write him off as dead. She knew her brother better than that, hell she knew his team better than that. Naruto was out there somewhere, doing who knew what with Ino, while she was here facing overwhelming odds.

"I suppose if you're not resting we should head for the command building. The others will be there by now and we've got to prepare for the coming assault."

"Yes." Hanabi said, following the older man silently as they left the wall, ignoring a sudden ache between her shoulder blades. It wasn't new, but usually it only turned up after she had practiced the first two steps of the Rasengan. It was probably just from an unconscious surge of chakra to that point, which seemed more common after having started the training with the Rasengan.

Making a mental note to ask Naruto when he turned back up, she turned her mind toward her team: Kojiro and Teru seemed to be forging a new bond, though their increasing dependency on each other was leaving her uncomfortable. Hanabi was also becoming aware that Yuu had no business being on the battlefield, he was too soft and worse he healed both enemy and ally saying "medics have no enemies".

Feeling Genma touch her shoulder, Hanabi came out of her thoughts instantly, only to realize that they had reached the command center. The Commander entered first, leaving Hanabi to take a steadying breath and follow in his wake. Meeting each stare from the three other captains glacially, well aware of the disapproval they each had toward her.

"Uzumaki-san, it's nice to see you." Hamaki Mimura, the oldest man and most experienced, said. "We missed you at the earlier team meeting."

"I was observing the enemy." Hanabi returned taking her seat, glancing at the map spread across the table. Looking up she nodded at Yajirobee politely, then turned her attention to Genma ignoring the third captain Towa completely. She didn't trust him, he might pretend to be just another Jōnin but she knew from his movements that he was ANBU and Hanabi did not trust any ANBU she didn't know.

"So, do you think they'll wait until morning before attacking?"

"Possibly," Genma answered, settling into his own seat "they'll have the same problems we have in this weather. Frozen ground, water freezing, so the smart play would be to wait until morning and the temperature rises a bit."

"But why wait?" Mimura asked, scratching his graying goatee.

"Because they do not have the sufficient force at the moment. " Towa offered, fore finger tapping the map "They almost did it earlier today, but the sacrifice of Team Arai managed to break their assault. Tomorrow there should be fresh reinforcements, and we can't afford to sacrifice another team to hold them back."

"We don't have much of a choice," Genma said "Nishio is a direct route into Region 5. They're pressing Chita and Hakusai, but they've focused their efforts here because if we break they can quickly gain a foothold."

"Yes. But to sacrifice another team would further weaken our offensive and defensive capabilities." Towa said, before gesturing politely at Hanabi "I'm sure Uzumaki-san agrees."

"Another sacrifice would most likely be futile." Hanabi offered, giving the man a shrewd look, aware of how unusual that was. "Which is why I think it is best to figure out what they will throw at us and how we can handle it."

"Yajirobee?" Genma asked, shifting all attention the younger man who coughed before speaking.

"Our forces lost about 842 samurai, including the Samurai Commander and his lieutenant. As for ninja, we've lost five."

"Leaving us with 1658 samurai," Mimura said, sighing heavily "and fifteen ninja to deal with tomorrow's assault."

"Well, we might be able to hold out if my estimate is correct." Genma offered, sitting forward "with fresh reinforcements, we can expect around 2000 enemy samurai and 22 Kumo Ninja."

"I'd say plan for more," Towa cautioned, glancing at Hanabi "wouldn't you Uzumaki-san?"

"Better to be prepared, than to be caught with your pants around your ankles." Hanabi offered, quoting her brother with a trace of amusement, while wondering why Towa was being so differential toward her opinion.

"Well said." Towa offered, chuckling in appreciation "I know the tactics we'll make use of, but I would like to add this: we should combine what we know of the tactics Uzumaki-san told us were used in Region 6. This way, we should be able to keep the perimeter intact."

"Oh?"

"Of course," Hanabi said, pushing her puzzlement of Towa's shift of personality aside "it doesn't matter if they outnumber us. It only matters if we outnumber _them_ at the point of attack. We fight several smaller battles within the overall battle; we need to only modify our current defensive strategy to use the layout of the city to our advantage."

"It could work," Genma said, glancing at the other two captains "We'll meet back here in an hour. Uzumaki-san, Towa-san I expect you'll have a detailed outline for the new strategy and the tactics we'll need to use by then."

Hanabi nodded, mentally wondering about Towa and also if she was the only one to notice the biggest problem with this plan. This would only break the initial assault, the second wave possibly, but the third and final wave would drown them. They would ultimately lose the city, and the others their lives.

Not her though, a dark voice whispered, she would escape death like always.

* * *

_Nami no Kuni, Toyone Village, Kumo Controlled Region 6, ..._  
:

:

Ino had grown up in Konoha, amid the constantly controlled turmoil that plagued every large city. That it was still considered a village didn't change the fact that Konoha was a large place filled with busy people stopping, bargaining, like so many multicolored butterflies. That was not counting the constant coming and going of the ninja, the odd hours those off duty kept made it almost imposibbly for any shop not to be open twenty-four hours.

Compared to all of that this village, Toyone, was a rustic paradise. A mountain range loomed far in the distance over the thatched roofs of the village, and the small valley below were terraced fields along with roads that led west and north, all covered with a layer of snow. A crisp wind occasionally swept through the sky, but this did little dissuade the children tossing snow balls at each other nor the happily languid activity of adults as they moved among the open shops lining the small streets.

Their was a sense of harmony so markedly absent from the cities here that Ino wanted nothing more than to stay.

Turning a corner Ino came upon an open market, with pretty maids and older servants, and instantly all activity stopped. Some of the villagers stared in wonder at seeing a Konoha ninja behind enemy lines, but there was also stifled hositlity coming from a few in the crowd. Ino didn't show a reaction to either stare, she had become far too conscious of people watching her every move lately and while many might be hostile none were stupid enough to try assaulting her.

After a minute of silence the villagers resumed their business, and Ino strolled idly through the ground gazing at the various items on display. Not that she would buy anything, they had already stocked up on what food they could carry and replaced their tattered cloths and cloaks. They had stopped in this village for Yugito to reclaim her backup supplies, soon enough they would be on the move once more, trying to reach the Konoha lines.

Scowling Ino let her mind flitter across the other woman, but stubbornly refused to consider the defecting Kumo Jonin as a romantic interest for Naruto. It didn't matter if Yugito was more lithe, attractive, or had things in common with him. Ino refused to accept it, because when she did look at those things, Ino seriously wondered why Naruto had picked her over Yugito and Ino was _not_ used to being outshone in the looks department.

Reaching the far side of the market, Ino turned the corner again but remained aware of the eyes studying her from every window and doorway.

Shaking her thoughts about Yugito off, Ino had to concede that if nothing else, at least this village had a a hot mineral spring. She had enjoyed soaking in the warm water, as had Hisame the Kiri Kunoichi. Reflecting on the other woman idly, Ino mused on if they should trust the message the Kiri ninja had brought them: that Kiri wanted to ally with Konoha to fight Kumo. It seemed a bit convient, but it was possible so they couldn't just dimiss the chance.

Well, if Yugito didn't get them too lost, they should know the truth about the Konoha/Kiri alliance-

Ino's thoughts were abruptly cast to the winds as a pair of hands pulled her into a nearby alley, slamming her shoulders and the back of her head painfully into the brick wall. Blinking away the stars, Ino lashed out blindly but her hand was knocked aside, before a low voice froze her in place. "Yamanaka."

Silence followed as Ino continued to try and clear her vision and focus on the owner of that voice. Nii Yugito stood just scant inches away from her, their bodies so close that Ino could feel the body heat radiating off the other woman. She opened her mouth to ask what was going on, when the former Kumo ninja pressed the palm of her hand against Ino's chest pinning her against the wall with an unexpected strength.

"Don't speak," Yugito hissed, her eyes dark and filled with a total sense of animalistic hatred. "I don't want to hear your voice."

Ino stared back unblinkingly, wondering what was going on. That was when she registered the bared finger inches from the underside of her chin, Ino tensed at the threat, Naruto had told her about Yugito's touch: a single touch was lethal. Which raised the question as to why this woman had dragged her into the dirty alley, and why exactly Yugito was staring at her with such animalistic hatred.

"It would be so easy. So easy, that its not even funny. One touch, just a light stroke, the barest of contact, and you would be dead." Yugito whispered, her voice thick with longing desire.

"Do it." Ino hissed back, glaring at her her attacker. She grimaced as Yugito's hand pressed against her chest, leaving no doubt that Ino would have a bruise there later.

"I want to. So much, it would be-" Yugito said, finger twitching before shaking her head sharply dismissing the thoughts "but I won't. Because it wouldn't matter, even if I could explain it away. Even if I could end up with him, it wouldn't matter, because he wouldn't be with me. He'd be with you. He would _always_ be with you."

Naruto. Ino thought in surprise as Yugito leaned forward so that their faces were inches apart, her face twisted as her eyes shifted to a dark purple with elongated irsis.

"I hate you, I hate you more than I have ever hated **_anything_** in my entire life." Yugito hissed, never breaking eye contact "but he loves you. So I'm going to let him have you, I'm going to let you two be happy."

Ino didn't respond, there were no words to say to that. A long moment of silence stretched out between them, meeting each others gaze, and then abruptly Yugito leaned back and took two steps away before leaping to a rooftop. Crouching Yugito stared down at her saying "Never take him for granted." and then with that Yugito was gone, leaving Ino leaning against the brick wall in the alley.

Yugito loved Naruto, Ino couldn't doubt that: You didn't go around acting like Yugito had to ninja of the village you were defecting to, nor did you defect for some guy you had a crush on. Yugito had drastically altered her life for Naruto, who was in turn in love with someone else. Ino sighed stepping away from the wall and striaghted her clothes, there was no easy answer to this.

Emerging from the alley and heading back toward where Naruto and the others were waiting, Ino decide to do nothing about the confrontation. She understood what the other woman was feeling, she had too much sympathy to be so cruel as to take away Naruto's friendship from Yugito along with his love.

* * *

_Region 5, Nishio..._  
:

:  
Samurai moved in organized and disciplined unison, it was part of their strength. A sheer wall of well-trained soldiers coming at you united with a single minded goal, your death. It was also their greatest weakness, if you could make even a few break rank then it would spread like a cancer through the others and the whole mass came undone.

As the Kaminari no Kuni samurai closed to within five hundred yards of the Hi no Kuni front lines, they began pulling swords and leveling spears. In contrast not a single Hi no Kuni samurai flinched, remaining perfectly stationary: the Kaminari samurai found out a minute later that they were actually an army of mannequins.

As confusion whipped through the ranks, the Hi no Kuni archers let loose a storm of arrows. The Kaminari forces cried out in surprise and death, they might have rallied if some of the arrows hadn't begun to explode. Ninja explosive notes attached to samurai arrows were devastating, a lesson Konoha had learned ruefully after the Oto invasion.

Mimura Hamaki scowled from his hidden perch, then satisfied that this was working turned his attention to his team. They were watching with more rapt attention than him, but then again he was forty-seven and had fought a war a little over a decade ago. Movement catching his attention, he grinned darkly as he saw the expected Kumo team slipping in from a different location.

Tapping Hayase, his lieutenant, on the shoulder he hurried off across the rooftops as the others followed a split-second later. Following the Kumo team proved to be challenging, they kept pausing to check their surroundings. For all the good it would do them, Hamaki thought realizing the path they were taking.

"Kouta, Hayase, go to the north road. They seem to be heading to one of our false headquarters, so I want you to cut off their access to our secondary defensive positions."

"Yes sir." Kouta said before he and Hayase broke away and looped around as ordered.

"Mimura-san, we don't have a road to our secondary defenses here." Kotetsu said once the boy was out of ear shot.

"I know." Hamaki said, leaping across the chasm of the rooftops "It was a code phrase for Hayase. Kouta is 16 and I've had my fill of seeing such young men die. Hayase will knock him out, put him out of harm's way and then meet up with us."

"Ah."

Hamaki didn't explain even further that something was bothering him. These Kumo ninja weren't searching side-streets, or paying close attention to their surroundings, they moved as if they already knew the exact layout of their defenses. Which if that was the case, then they should know that they were heading directly for a false headquarters: Could they be using the trap against them?

A spy could have slipped in during the night, but a single spy couldn't have given such an accurate layout. Two or more would be feasible, but they would have been noticed if there were that many. Besides, they wouldn't have had time to apparently memorize the layout, so it had to be something else.

A traitor?

That was a possibility, and the possibilities were limited. Samurai captains and the Konoha teams knew many of the details, but the only ones that knew the exact details of their defense would be the Konoha commanders. He would even argue that Hanabi and Towa, since they had put this defensive strategy together, knew more than all of them.

Whoever the traitor was, he would figure it out when he saw the way they reacted at the false headquarters. Which, judging by how close they were to the false headquarters he would be finding out soon. Slipping a kunai from his holster attaching an explosive note, the enemy would easily avoid the blast, but it would provide enough time to form the hand seals for a ninjutsu.

The majority of the younger ninja merely rushed head long into battle, they never thought ahead on how to accomplish their goals. A quick glance confirmed that his partner was also preparing for the looming battle, at least he had some common sense. Grim, Hamaki turned his attention back to the Kumo team preparing a second explosive kunai. "I'll take the lead, provide backup."

"Right." Kotetsu said, putting his kunai up and instead dropped back beginning to form hand seals.

A second later the Kumo team entered the dead end, spotted the false headquarters and came to an abrupt halt. Obviously they hadn't been expecting an unguarded tent in the middle of a dead end, and the moment of confusion was the opening Hamaki needed. Running full speed at the edge of the roof, he jumped while firing off his kunai into their midst.

As expected the explosion did no real damage outside of pelting them with debris, but it did cause them to scatter in confusion. Foot touching an awning, Hamaki pushed off sharply unleashing a Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu, catching the nears Kumo ninja in mid-landing. The now blazing ninja alerted the others, but Hamaki had already touched the ground and shifted directions.

Six hand seals later and he was exhaling the white hot flames of the Katon: Karyū Endan at a second Kumo ninja. This one managed to dodge at the last second, and the flames caught the tent on fire. Swearing Hamaki broke off that attack as his newest opponent formed a single hand seal and twisting his hands formed a ball of lightning on his palms.

Hamaki realized the danger belated as the enemy released the ball of lightning to fall to the ground. Jumping back, the Konoha Jōnin flung a hand out causing a kunai attached to a steel wire to fly high and embed itself in the mortar of a nearby building. Using this, he shifted his weight altering his momentum to carry him to the building where he used chakra to hold himself in place as the ball of lightning exploded, creating both a deafening boom while unleashing several large bolts of lightning that radiated outward as they tore along the ground.

Thankfully Kotetsu decided to get involved, and using the attack against the enemy, unleashed a torrent of water that flooded the street. The Kumo ninja might have survived if they'd had more warning, but they didn't have that warning and were thus electrocuted. Hamaki almost laughed at the irony from his perch on the side of the building, but he focused instead on breathing and ignoring his aching joints.

At least he was until a Kumo ninja suddenly appeared out of the blue, a kick connecting with his stomach. Breathing out sharply, Hamaki retreated up the wall as the Kumo ninja smoothly drew a kunai and threw it: Hamaki twisted his body to avoid the weapon and then charged. A clash of punches and kicks followed, slowly inching closer to the electrified water below.

Slipping a kunai into his hand Hamaki slashed at the enemy, who leaned away from the weapon while driving a knee toward Hamaki's stomach. The Konoha Jōnin countered with his free hand blocking the knee and pushing it away, lept backward releasing his kunai to delay his enemy. Foot touching the wall, he grimaced as a sharp pain shot up his leg from his ankle, he was getting too old for this.

He spotted the shuriken almost too late, several bit deep into his shoulder and thigh as he dodged. Pivoting on the ball of his foot, he formed the seals for the Housenka no Jutsu and unleashed several small fireballs at the enemy. The Kumo ninja weaved side to side forming hand seals as he went, before dropping to a knee and planted his hands on the wall.

Hamaki's eyes went wide as he guessed the attack, and managed to move as the first blast of lightning erupted from his previous location. The tremor that ran through the building was secondary to the fact that another bolt of lightning exploded outward in his wake. It wasn't until Hamaki was almost within striking distance that the Kumo ninja canceled the attack, but it was too late the wall was beginning to crumble.

Hand flinging out, Hamaki felt his stringed kunai find purchase and shifted his weight from the fall. Swinging wide, feet coming inches from the still deadly water, he spotted his enemy using the crumbling wall to try and get to new ground. A second later the man touched down on a roof top, where he was promptly caught in a chain of explosions powerful enough to collapse the roof.

Hamaki hit a wall a minute later, nearly losing his hold as the steel wire bite deep into his flesh. Twisting slightly, he managed to get his feet under him and using chakra, began walking up the wall before flipping his way onto the roof. A second later he heard the sound of two ninja landing behind him and looked around to find Kotetsu and a blood-splattered Hayase.

"I take it something happened?"

"One of the ninja tried to escape." Hayase explained, shrugging "I got the drop on him."

"Well at least now we know that they don't know all our plans." Kotetsu said "Which doesn't make me feel much better."

"At least it's something." Hamaki said in response, mind churning with possibilities of who the traitor could be. "We should get back to work, we have a long day ahead of us."

"Right."

"Yeah."

* * *

Yūhi Kojiro huddled against a building, trying desperately to control the fear clawing at her. Her trembling only grew worse at the sharp cracks of lightning, the loud explosions and the screams of death: She wasn't supposed to be here, doing this, she wasn't strong enough for this.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her only source of comfort. Simply thinking about Teru calmed her frayed nerves, like a balm against her fear, he provided her with the strength she needed to do her job. Opening her eyes, Kojiro braced herself for the approaching task, determined to keep her friends safe.

A second later she caught the reflection of a Kumo team in a store window, and launched into action. Sprinting from her hiding spot before they spotted her, she hurled a few harmless kunai before taking off down an alley. The path was familiar to her, which made dodging the occasional hurled weapon or ninjutsu easier, but it made fighting back enough to keep them interested in pursuing her tricky.

She almost lost her balance as she made a sharp turn, trailing flash notes and caltrops in her wake. Reaching out she leveraged her body up and over a dumpster, pushed off a discarded box and paused just long enough to see her pursuers. That half-second of checking allowed them to get closer than she intended, swearing she took off in a now desperate race to stay one step ahead of them.

Her heart was pounding in her ears, drowning out all other sound as her eyes began darting around frantically. A second later she made a turn and found herself hurtling through a pitched battle between samurai groups. Kojiro ducked, weaved, and shoved her way through the fighting only to narrowly avoid a toppling wall as a blast of lightning hit it.

Glancing back, she spotted the Kumo team hot on her heels but they would lose interest soon. No doubt they had already started wondering about this chase, but it wouldn't take much longer. Through at the speed she was moving, it would be insanely easy to miss the mark and she prayed to every deity listening that she wouldn't.

Where was it, had she missed it? No there!

Hurtling forward at full speed she jumped, rebounding off the corner of a building to change directions. Hitting the ground, she didn't miss a step as she raced down the garbage strewn alley. Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted the team just entering the alley a second later and she dropped to the ground while triggering the trap with a single hand seal and flare of chakra.

The Kumo ninja froze in place, as one of her most powerful genjutsu anchored to a supporting seal from Hanabi hit them. Teru and Hanabi emerged from hiding a second later, nailing them with several poisoned kunai. As the enemy dropped to the ground, Kojiro closed her eyes trying to ease her heavy breathing to a normal rate, cursing the fact that she was fastest on this team.

"Are you alright?" Yuu asked, ever the medic.

"F-fine," Kojiro managed, gulping for breath, afraid her heart was going to burst. If it did then her responsibility as bait would fall to someone else and she couldn't let that happen. Feeling Teru touch her shoulder, she looked up at him grinning "I'm fine."

Blinking away the sweat from her eyes, she struggled upright leaning against Teru a bit more than she might strictly need to. Not that he complained, he held her a little closer as well and it felt so nice. She would be back out there soon enough, so she wanted to enjoy what little she had to enjoy.

"Scatter!"

Kojiro looked instinctively toward Hanabi before she was spun around and slammed into a wall, dazing her. Recovering she turned around in time to see Teru collapsing to his knees, the handle of several kunai protruding from his back and neck. Her eyes went wide, and a horrible sickness welled up inside her watching as he toppled forward.

"T-Teru?" Kojiro managed horrified, her thoughts loosing cohesion as she began to wail. As her mind broke her muscles went slack and she slumped to the ground, unable to tear her gaze from the protruding weapons or the blood gurgling out of his wounds.

Kojiro didn't even register the hands looping under her arms, or being forcible hauled to her feet. She registered nothing; there was nothing, Kojiro simply followed on auto-pilot as Hanabi dragged her away.

* * *

Towa crouched among his hidden unit, studying the enemy intently, careful to keep his chakra to the bare minimum. He was actually impressed that their desperate plan was working: The samurai had broken into smaller units, which in turn left the Konoha ninja free to deal with the Kumo Teams. Of course Towa had been an ANBU far too long not to realize what he needed to do while the others were dealing with the advancing Kumo team he had located the Kumo command group.

If he killed the leaders the rest became disorganized and hence easier to kill.

It hadn't been easy of course, but his team had found the command staff, three ninja surrounded by several samurai. Studying them for another few minutes, he made a few hand signals to his team all of whom nodded and signaled back that they were ready. Which meant all that was left was figuring out how exactly to take this group out, they needed to kill as many as they could in the first few moments of this attack otherwise things could become difficult.

They could retreat and come back better prepared, the enemy had yet to notice them and this was almost a guaranteed suicide mission. Not that Towa for one moment thought his men would approve of _that_ plan, their lives were his if he desired to spend them. Breathing in slowly, he exhaled silently, wishing that his wife Komachi had been there, she had always been the strategist.

Shaking it off, he focused on devising the plan needed: some would go with a head on assault and it was a decent enough idea. If you focused all of your fire-power in one area you could break through and it worked more often than not. However, the odds weren't in their favor here, a single high level lightning ninjutsu could take them out if they attacked from one direction.

No, the best plan would be to spread his men out, encircling the group and then launch multiple, staggered attacks. That would launch the enemy into confused counter attacks; they wouldn't know which direction to respond to. Further consideration gave him a modification to use, after each attack his men would move to new locations and attack again.

The confusion would be perfect, and turning he began signaling the plan to his men. Once the plan was relayed he waited for any signs that they didn't understand and when none came he motioned for them to move into position. Shimon got into position first, taking the west point. Inaho took the East point next, and Bekkou was last taking the position furthest away and directly opposite of Towa.

All that was left then was for Towa to launch the first attack.

Slipping a bladeless tanto hilt from his hip, he located his target aware that his Kounami Usugiri had a limited kill range. He wanted to ensure that at least one of the command staff went out with it. Satisfied he lifted his hand across his chest, and with a surge of chakra sprung to his feet sweeping his weapon outward unleashing a crescent-shaped wave of red chakra.

The enemy took cover almost immediately, even as the torso of several samurai and the closest ninja slid apart. Towa on the other hand was already on the move as retaliatory attacks began, but soon he was lost as his team began firing off their own attacks. Skidding to a halt Towa zeroed in on his primary target, a Kumo Jōnin that was shouting orders amid the chaos, and his tanto glowed with a crimson blade as he channeled the chakra from his special tattoo into the weapon and charged directly into the group.

Towa swept a samurai aside effortlessly, kicked, pivoted and took out another and then with a wordless scream lunged for the startled Kumo Jōnin.

* * *

Her breath came in short, sharp stabs and her shortness of breath it was only growing worse. Her body was screaming at her, protesting her every move and every breath. But Hanabi simply didn't have a choice if she stopped it wasn't just her life that would be forfeit, but the girl she was dragging behind her.

Hanabi couldn't simply abandon Kojiro, the girl was her responsibility.

Panting she glanced around slowing down while pointedly ignoring the stitch in her side, then shoving Kojiro up against a wall she looked around hastily trying to recall the city layout. Was the field MASH unit down that alley and a street over, or was it two? Clenching her eyes shut, Hanabi tried to recall but couldn't seem to grasp the details.

She could remember the location of every defensive point they had created but nothing else. It made her angry with herself and with Kojiro for putting her in this situation. Casting a glare at her comrade, the urge to slap Kojiro swelled up but she resisted doing so because it wouldn't be right.

"My brother _is_ a bad influence." Hanabi mumbled, easing along the wall toward the corner, dragging a catatonic Kojiro behind her. Reaching the corner, she stiffed her body halting Kojiro who stumbled from the impact. Peeking cautiously around the corner, she found it empty and started to ease around the corner until she registered movement.

Darting back, she managed to get out of the way as a lightning ninjutsu struck the ground in front of her. Swearing softly, Hanabi retreated dragging Kojiro behind her a split-second before a Kumo ninja emerged from around the corner. Spotting her as she darted a side-street, he called for the rest of his team and the chase was on.

If it had been just her, she might have tried to make a stand or possibly even lose them. Instead she only had the choice of running and trying to keep Kojiro safe. But for how long Hanabi didn't know, her breath was becoming sharper and louder making her more than aware that her body hadn't completely recovered from her earlier injuries.

Reaching the end of the alley, she cringed pulling Kojiro into a low crouch as stray arrows and thrown spears passed overhead. Of course she would stumble right into the midst of a battle: snarling, Hanabi scrambled forward shoving Kojiro into a nearby alley which turned out to be a dead end as kunai rained down in her wake.

"Damn it!" Hanabi shouted and spotting an overturned dumpster she nearly wrenched her arm out of it socket, slinging Kojiro to safety behind it as a few kunai grazed her thigh and back. Recovering with a shaky spin Hanabi fired off her own kunai forcing the Kumo ninja to duck and dodge. Panting, Hanabi glanced from one to another watching as the four slowly recovered and began to advance slowly down the alley toward her.

Shifting her weight, hiding a wince from the pain of her wounded thigh, Hanabi adopted a defensive stance. Palming several flash notes she made a false charge before hurling the notes at the faces of her attackers. As they flinched back in surprise, Hanabi followed in their wake hands forming seals before drawing the moisture from the slush and snow creating a Mizu Bunshin.

As the Kumo ninja recovered, they found two Hanabi's bearing down on them. The Mizu Bunshin reached her target first, one who lashed out with a crackling hand. Admittedly it didn't hurt the ninja, Jinkourai were notoriously resistant to lightning attacks, but the man's partner who had been attacking from behind wasn't so lucky.

Hanabi reached her own target about the same time and deflected a punched aimed at her face, countering with a front kick to his chin. The affect was less than stellar, forcing Hanabi to dodge a round kick at her head before pivoting around a side-kick to her stomach. Coming out of her spin, she drove the blade of a shuriken into the side of her opponent aiming for the kidney.

The blade was too short for lethal damage, but it forced the man back. Spinning a sidekick stopped the punch of her second opponent, then pushing off Hanabi grimaced before smoothly ducking beneath a crescent kick. Heel hooking the back of her enemy's leg she swept him off his feet and standing turned just in time for a punch to connect with her face sending her crashing to the ground.

Hanabi went with the momentum and regained her feet, coming around in time to find a Kumo ninja lunging toward her. She dodged back managing to turn a devastating punch into a mere grazing blow, silently thankful for her harsh training. As the off balance man tried to recover, her hand shot out grabbing his wrist and yanked sending him crashing face first into the ground.

Stumbling back to stay clear, her breathing louder and shorter; horror stole through her as she realized how short of breath she was. Registering another attack, she stumbled back forcing her hands to work through various seals unleashing a blast of water to hit them in the face. The charge broken, she stumbled back hitting a wall and slumped against it, her horror growing.

"I think that's enough." One of the Kumo ninja, a heavily muscled man, said stepping forward. As the other two pulled back at his hand motions, Hanabi took several deep and painful breaths. "I think the better part of valor would be to surrender."

"Surrender?" Hanabi repeated weakly, staring up at him "Ok, I accept your surrender."

"Cheeky," the man said, his tone amused instead of angry. "I meant for you to surrender. In your condition, you need to be smart."

Hanabi glared at the man, furious at her body and at Kojiro. If the other girl had just held it together, then she wouldn't have been forced to drag the other girl around like a pack mule. Damn Kojiro to the deepest hell imaginable!

Worst of all, Hanabi had to give surrender serious consideration because it wasn't just her life but Kojiro's. If it was just her, Hanabi would have kept fighting without hesitation, she wasn't afraid of death anymore. But it wasn't just her and Hanabi was far from being cold enough to simply sacrifice her comrades life without a thought.

Damn Kojiro.

"It's hard to surrender, I know. No ninja utters such words if they have another option, but you have none."

Hanabi remained silent, her shortness of breath easing with each second, but the more it did the more the choice weighed on her. Hanabi wasn't sure she could actually do it though, but she might not have much of a choice. What should she do, what would Naruto do?

"Command is a heavy burden. For one so young to bear such responsibility it speaks highly of you." The Kumo captain said, stepping forward "You know surrender is the only option."

Hanabi hesitated, teetering on the brink believing that Naruto would surrender if it would save her life. Hanabi believed it from the bottom of her heart he would do anything if he thought it would save her life. That sobered her, because Hanabi quite simply didn't believe that surrender would save Kojiro's life.

"Well?"

"I am Uzumaki Hanabi," Hanabi said slowly, charka flowing down her arm gathering in her palm as she concentrated on her technique. She only had the first step down with any real skill, the second stage wasn't truly stable, and thus it would do no lasting damage to an enemy. Feeling the hand trembling and burning as the chakra swirled into a fluctuating sphere she continued. "Surrender is _not_ an option."

"Don't force us to do this." the Kumo ninja said, eying her technique warily. Hanabi noticed that and felt a tight pride inside her chest, knowing the man had encountered it before and judging by his age she knew who had been wielding it.

"You may retreat or you may attack," Hanabi said, her tone thick with rough determination "but I will not surrender."

"You heard Uzumaki-san." Mimura said from overhead, and the Kumo ninja all hesitated looking up sharply.

Hanabi narrowed her eyes, hand trembling as she fought to maintain her incomplete Rasengan. The chakra drain was outrageous, even with her level of control. Still, if they decided to attack she would at least attempt to take one of them out with it, most likely the leader considering the way he was eying her.

A moment later the man motioned for the others with a curt nod and the Kumo ninja retreated, retrieving their fallen partner as they went. Her chakra spun out as she lost her concentration and Hanabi nearly slid to the ground in sheer exhaustion. Her body's protest took on a new pitch, a loud and insistent scream.

Registering Mimura and his team landing in the street; two moving to secure the alley as one went to Kojiro. Noticing Mimura turning to face her, Hanabi blocked out the pain and summoning ever ounce of willpower straightened up. Hanabi would be damned before she showed weakness to such a bastard.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Hanabi said, meeting Mimura's gaze evenly "Kojiro-san isn't however."

"I noticed." Mimura said, his gaze drifting in that direction. "I take it the ambush failed?"

"We managed to take out at least two ninja. I shouted the order to scatter, but they froze up." Hanabi paused, frowning "I grabbed Kojiro, got her out but…"

"Her mind has snapped." Mimura said heavily "it happens during war. Sometimes people, good people, simply snap under the pressure."

"Mimura-san, I've got her sedated." Hayase said, cradling the girl in her arms "I'll take her to the MASH tent."

"Very well. Go on ahead." Mimura said, before turning his head as the man left "Kotestu, Kouta spread out and check the area, the enemy might have pulled back but we still need to secure the area."

"Yes." Both echoed, leaving Mimura and Hanabi alone.

"The enemy pulled back?" Hanabi asked, forcing her voice to remain even.

"Yes, the defensive measures broke their initial attempt. Plus, we've gotten some unexpected reinforcements from Headquarters and Kiri." Mimura answered tiredly, before looking at her again "Do you know where Hata-san is?"

"I lost track of him while trying to get Kojiro out of the ambush." Hanabi answered sourly despite the news of more ninja to help out. "I suppose he was either captured or died."

"Another fact of war Uzumaki-san," Mimura said, his tone bleak "sometimes those we trust betray us."

"Explain." Hanabi said, voice sharpening "Now."

"Somebody provided the enemy with a layout of our defenses, but they lacked key details. That indicates that whoever told them was a ninja, but not a captain."

"So you suspect Yuu."

"As well as Tobitake Tonbo," Mimura explained, meeting her gaze firmly "According to Yajirobee, Tobitake has become very erratic and secretive while Hata has offered aid to the enemy."

"I see." Hanabi muttered, weighing what he had told her, knowing that he had valid points. Not that she was about to simply condemn Yuu without finding out for sure. Still, unfathomable as it was for a comrade to betray their village, Konoha had plenty of past examples that showed it happened.

"A search for Hata-san will have to wait unfortunately, we need to fall back and prepare for the next assault."

"Of course." Hanabi said, taking a step and her knee buckled before she caught herself. Cursing her body she glanced at Mimura who was studying her closely.

"I think you should see a medic."

"I'm fine." Hanabi said, forcing her body to remain strong "besides there are others who need them more."

* * *

AN: Just a quick heads up, as I've mentioned elsewhere, I've hit writers block on this story. I only have a few more chapters before I hit the end, so after some thought I decided that I would revert back to a chapter per month, in hopes of giving myself time to break through the writers block.


	40. Reprised Stanza

**NARUTO: SHINOBI WARS**  
_-Reprised Stanza-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

The Fourth Great Shinobi War has begun, and the shinobi nations awash with chaos and bloodshed.

To the west, the Kusa Empire has been shattered due to the greed and shortsightedness of its last leader. Those former countries held under its banner have fallen to the greedy, destructive rampages of those now consumed with delusions of grandeur. Meanwhile, the great desert village of Sunagakure is waging a desperate war against the monolithic war machine of Iwagakure, using any and every means to achieve victory over their would-be oppressor - including the ultimate weapon of the mysterious organization known of as Akatsuki.

At the heart of the shinobi nations, Konohgakure wages a war on multiple fronts against numerous aggressors. On their North-west border are mounting skirmishes against Iwa and the lesser villages that had once belonged to the Kusa empire. To the Northeast, they face the combined might of Oto with all of its allies. In the South-east Konoha has entered a stalling action against Oto's most powerful ally, Kumo, whose forces have invaded the small nation of Nami no Kuni, in preparation for an invasion against blood soaked Kiri.

Amidst these growing conflicts, hidden and not so hidden, others seek their own goals:

Akatuski, using the cover of the wars and the greed of various villages, have finally captured all but three remaining Jjinchūriki: Nii Yugito, Kirābī, and Uzumaki Naruto. Meanwhile, Madara/Tobi and Uchiha Sasuke, having finished their alliance with Oto completely, now make their way to the ancient Uchiha strong hold to gather strength before confronting Uchiha Itachi.

Its current leader, Tenzo, has betrayed Unity and only Tou has managed to escape and hide her trail as she assumes a position of authority under Nara Shikamaru, within the Konoha forces fighting within Nami no Kuni.

Orochimaru, the leader of Oto and architect of the Oto-Konoha war, has been slain by the self-sacrifice of Jiraiya. At the same time however, the treacherous Mitarashi Anko (believed dead by Konoha) and aided by a newly reformed Sound Four has launched a surprise attack against Konoha and attempted the assassination of the Godaime Hokage Kakashi, and her former lover; leaving chaos and uncertainty in her wake. The great medic Tsunade, who has slowly descended into darkness attempting to save her now dead lover Jiraiya from Fatal Chakra Poisoning, must now decide the fate of the traitor Uchiha Sakura - wife to Uchiha Sasuke, with whom she had struck a pact.

Kiri has entered Nami no Kuni and entered a mutually beneficial alliance with the present Konoha forces to repel the Kumo forces who have pushed them to the brink of full retreat. All parties however, are completely unaware that behind enemy lines the most dangerous group of all are about to explode back onto the scene and in so doing they will herald the beginning of the end for everything.


	41. Chapter: 38: Pearl Ridge

**Naruto: **Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 38:  
_-Pearl Ridge-  
_By Geor-sama

* * *

_January 7th_

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was not a light sleeper, even with the urgent pressures that plagued his life, but lately it had become something of a habit. Not out of necessity, but simply because he had temporary allies (read strangers) and because there was something nagging at the back of his mind. Waking up slowly, he made no immediate move to get up, but instead cracked his eyes just enough to peek out at Ino who was sleeping just a few inches away.

He took a moment to appreciate the peacefulness that filled her features, especially the faint smile, and then slowly rolled over to face the second blond sleeping on his other side. Nii Yugito, defector from Kumo, lay curled up like a cat just out of his reach, but she was not asleep: like every morning since she had defected, Yugito was staring at him the instant he rolled over. The first time it happened, he'd been startled but now he took it in stride, though it did disturb him.

Naruto knew that this awareness had nothing to do with normal ninja paranoia, Yugito was tuned to him specifically. Naruto had no proof but he was willing to bet that she woke up the instant his breathing changed. Not that he was about to say anything to her about that habit, she was a dangerous woman and her life had been horrible from what she had told him, and now he was responsible for her.

Offering her a smile, which earned him one in return, Naruto rolled onto his back stretching with a muffled groan. Getting up slowly, so that he didn't startle the Kiri ninja -Chojo something- he stumbled a little way from camp to take care of morning business, and once done with that he created a few Kage Bunshin who scattered into the surrounding shrubbery on a scouting mission. Satisfied he returned to the camp and settled in next to the smouldering fire pit, trying to jump start his thought process.

His mind briefly touched on Hanabi, it had been a long time since he had seen her and he worried about her. Still Hanabi was a good ninja and she was, if not by blood then spirit, his sister and no Uzumaki would be silly enough to let something like death beat them. Shaking it off he fumbled through his hip pouch and produced a carton of dango, not his first choice in food but it would do and it reminded him of Anko.

Munching quietly on the treat, reflecting on his memories of her, he didn't register the female Kiri ninja sitting down beside him until she asked for a stick of dango.

"Eh?" Naruto managed, blinking as he focused on the woman, trying to remember her name. It escaped him and he mentally decided it wasn't too important to him anyway, when she repeated her request he shrugged handing over a stick.

"Thanks." The Kiri woman said, taking a bite before smiling at him "I see why you like these so much."

"Meh, they're ok." Naruto countered, finishing his stick and tossing it on the fire "I'd rather have ramen- sweet delicious, ramen. Pork ramen would be great, or miso..."

"Ok," she offered, scooting away from him as he continued to talk about ramen.

"Stop scaring the poor woman," Ino said archly, followed by playfully smacking the back of his head as she settled in on his other side, stealing the last remaining stick of dango from the container he was holding.

"Ino-chan!" Naruto returned brightly, kissing her cheek quickly before ducking back to avoid a half-hearted slap "Good morning!"

"Yeah, yeah," Ino groused, shooting him a dark glare. Naruto actually found it cute, which explained why he went out of his way to annoy her in the mornings "do you have to be so cheery this early?"

"I can't help it!" Naruto chirped brightly, springing to his feet for better mobility "Seeing your beautiful face just brightens my day."

Ino's hand shot forward out of instinct, sending her stick of dango at his face. Naruto ducked to the left, hand snatching the make-shift projectile out of the air as he did before finishing the dango left on it with a grin. Seeing her darkening glare he smothered his grin and walked away, thinking Ero-sennin would be annoyed at the response that line got: Ino was not a fan of him quoting Icha Icha to her.

She didn't mind he had written one or two, or that he had done 'research' though she had growled the word out, but she drew the line at him using quotes from the series on her.

Naruto for his part, appreciated her good taste and the fact that she was being a little be 'rougher' with him. It was hard to really define the change they had gone through, at least relationship wise, but it worked for them. Though he doubted others would term it healthy or sane: but then again neither of them were sane in the strictest of terms so maybe that was how it was supposed to be.

Spotting Lee, Naruto moved to join the other ninja in gazing at the forest that surrounded them. "So, what's up?"

"Thinking," Lee answered subdued "My Genin, Tenten, my friends. We have not encountered any enemy since Yugito joined us, and it has given me too much time free to think about the others."

"Ah," Naruto managed, unsure how to respond. He understood, but Naruto didn't really think about things like that. Occasionally his mind would turn to them, but soon enough he would drift on to other thoughts. "I'm sure they're fine."

"Thanks."

"No problem." Naruto offered, grinning at his friend "Seriously, you shouldn't worry so much. I know that I'd lose what little sanity I have left if I worried about things I couldn't change."

"Yosh, I do not believe that should be a concern." Lee said, chuckling.

"The voices in my head agree." Naruto retorted, sharing in the man's amusement. "But what do they know?"

Lee opened his mouth, perhaps to continue the cheerful bickering when further conversation was curtailed by a deep rumble filling the air. A second later the ground began to tremble violently followed by an unbelievable amount of pressure, making Naruto feel as if his lungs were about to burst. Lee lost his fight to remain standing, collapsing to his hands and knees, and glancing around Naruto saw that the Kiri Kunoichi was in a similar position. The swordsman and Ino were struggling but still upright, while Yugito appeared outwardly unaffected by the catastrophic roar coming from earth and sky.

Naruto clenched his jaw muscles as the pressure and shaking surrounded them completely, building until his head felt like it was about to split open. Then the pressure abated, leaving behind the trembling ground: Lee was on his hands and knees, and across the way the Kiri Kunoichi seemed to be vomiting. Finally the tremor stopped and Naruto reached down hauling Lee back to his feet while wondering what in the hell that had been.

Ino was the first to speak, and her tone was shocked. "What the hell was that?"

"I told you that while this route was quick, it would be guarded by a Kumo outpost." Yugito answered, looking unapologetic. Turning to address Naruto her gaze shifted toward worry "That was a Ranton technique, most likely the Ranton Ōgi: Rankiryū."

"And that does what exactly?" Naruto asked, moving to join the others while Ino knelt to check on the still crouching Kiri kunoichi.

"Ranton is a Bloodline Limit and the Ranton Ōgi: Rankiryū is its ultimate technique. Basically the Ranton Ōgi: Rankiryū is a two step process: first, the user produces a massive thunder cloud that is able to absorb chakra and grow. Second he then channels that chakra into the earth and releases it. Depending on how much chakra was absorbed the damage can be anything from annoyance to utter devastation, but that also depends on the control of the ninja using it."

"That's insane." Ino said as she helped the Kiri kunoichi to her feet, casting a worried glance at Naruto. "I mean, how do we even beat something like that?"

"It takes a lot of chakra to perform, they'd need Kage level chakra for immediate repeat use." Yugito added, glancing at Ino with a frown "So I doubt whoever used it will be able to manage another one for a while."

"So why did they use such a technique in the first place?" Lee asked with an uneven voice, moving to help steady Ino's patient.

"Konoha is making a push." Naruto said, eyes widening. The whole reason they were on this route was because it would let them bypass the Konoha/Kumo front lines and come in from behind, but now they were facing exactly what they were trying to avoid in the first place.

"We shouldn't be surprised," the Kiri kunoichi announced unsteadily, glancing at her tense looking companion "I mean we knew Kiri was looking to form an alliance with Konoha."

"Hisame-chan is correct!" Lee agreed enthusiastically, which seemed to make the woman grin faintly "a combined effort of our two youthfully energetic villages would be overwhelming."

"Which raises the question," Ino said grimly, attaching Raijin-ken to the loop at her waist "What do we do?"

"Well, it's not our decision," Chōjūrō offered edgily "but I've went too long without seeing _something_ bleed."

"We're going to help." Naruto said, almost immediately noticing Ino's jaw clenching in annoyance. Mentally he winced, he was going to be hearing about this later tonight.

"Going back into combat now is dangerous." Ino countered, fixing her gaze on Naruto "Some of us are only now really beginning to recover from our chakra exhaustion."

"We are not only servants to the great tree of Konoha but part of its sheltering branches and leaves." Lee said, sounding affronted.

"I'm with Yamanaka. We need to avoid combat if possible." Hisame added, glancing at her fellow Kiri ninja anxiously "But I understand what Lee is saying too. So if we help I'm not going to object."

Naruto was going to say something else, but a dozen unfamiliar memories suddenly filled his mind. They were mostly disjointed, and he shook his head as if trying to jiggle the pieces back into place. Then all at once the memories snapped into place and he took a quick breath before looking around at the others who were all staring at him expectantly.

"Its falling apart," Naruto said quickly, making vague gesturing as he did. "I'm not sure what the exact plan was but the Konoha and Kiri side is falling apart now, I think the commanders for our side were taken out by that Ranton thing just now."

"We don't have a choice then." Ino muttered, offering him a wry grin. "So what's the plan?"

"Uhm," Naruto said, glancing at the others who were all staring at him expectantly "I'm usually just a tactics guy, ya know when I'm not killing things. But I'd say we need to get our people the hell outta there."

"You heard him." Ino snapped in a smart military fashion, her tone full of authority "Stem the loss of our people and organize a retreat."

"Tell everyone you can that I want them on channel nine," Naruto offered as the others nodded at Ino's words. Seeing their look he shrugged "We want this organized right? This way nobody falls back till I give the word."

A second later they were rushing through the forest toward battle and the entire way, Naruto pondered why everyone had accepted his authority so easily.

* * *

_Hi no Kuni, Central Region..._

Spring was not far around the corner, the air was already warming and the early morning frost disappeared quicker with each passing day. Hi no Kuni would soon be free of the clutches of winter, as would the rest of the world in another month. It was a time of new growth and new beginnings, when seeds would sprout and grow into their true forms, giving birth to the future.

At least, that was the hope.

Sometimes it didn't work out like that, sometimes a seed would sprout too early and die before its time. Uchiha Madara was determined that such a fate would not befall the seed he was currently tending and preparing. He had spent too many years, multiple decades and a century, just to cultivate the land for this single seed to even form and he would not jeopardize all that hard work by allowing Uchiha Sasuke to sprout too early.

But there was a problem, Sasuke's mind and body were in turmoil over the boys wife Sakura. Sasuke hid it well, but Madara could see it with every step and every breath the boy was fighting an internal debate about what he should do. That was why the Uchiha patriarch was taking the confused child to the original Uchiha Clan base instead of seeking a confrontation with Itachi as Madara had first intended after they sent Karin and Suigetsu on their way with the useless (Madara had made sure of that) body for Orochimaru.

If Sasuke faced Itachi now there would be no chance for victory over his brother, or for Madara to claim a new host body. Sasuke would die, most likely by the flames of Itachi's Amatesu which would reduce the body to ash instantly leaving Madara facing eternity in this pathetic shell. Madara could not jeopardize his future nor his plans recklessly, thankfully he could still rely on Pain and his refusal to betray an ally.

Thinking about ally's made Zetsu spring to mind, the former Kusa ninja was overdue to check in with Madara.

"What is Pain's goal?" Sasuke asked, breaking the silence that they were travelling under. "Why did you need another Uchiha?"

"His goal is to bring peace." Madara answered, wondering what had prompted the brat to start asking those questions. It's inevitable the Uchiha patriarch mused, the boy was not Itachi but Sasuke was a genius and those were somewhat obvious questions. Still, Sasuke had been so focused on his revenge and lately Sakura that it was a surprise he would even care to ask about a situation involving a third party he had never met.

"You haven't answered my question." Sasuke stated, a frown marring his features. "Why do you need another Uchiha?"

"Because, foolish little brother, Pain seeks peace by stripping the world bare of humanity and starting over." Itachi answered in his hollow tone as he suddenly emerged from empty air. "Madara wishes, instead, to sacrifice one of us to hypnotize the world into complete obedience to his will but only after we've helped him usurps Akatsuki from Pain."

Madara froze instantly -as did Sasuke- staring at Itachi. Had he miscalculated Pain's willingness to betray an ally? Or was it simply that Pain no longer considered him an ally, which would free the self-proclaimed god from any moral complications about sending Itachi to solve his problem? Madara might have worried about how Sasuke would react to what Itachi had just revealed, but the other boy was so blinded by his desire for vengeance that there was no chance of him believing those words.

"Itachi." Sasuke snarled.

"Sasuke." Itachi acknowledged blandly, with little more than an inclining of his head.

This it seemed was too much for the younger boy and Sasuke launched into a wild charge at his impassive brother, flinging shuriken and kunai as he did. Itachi reacted like the veteran he was and the ANBU ninja-to he still carried under his cloak sang into the air deflecting the hail of weapons. Sasuke was within striking distance a half-second later, hand crackling as it shot forward with a Chidori toward Itachi.

Sasuke missed the thrust, or more accurately it was avoided when Itachi managed to spin to the dead angle of the attack and his sword whipped around at Sasuke's neck. The younger Uchiha ducked, spun into a leg sweep that was neatly avoided by Itachi and then brought his chidori powered hand up and around just in time to catch a descending Itachi in the stomach. Sasuke had just enough time to start smirking before Itachi dissolved into a flock of crows that took flight.

Without warning, Sasuke was yanked off his feet and spend around before being hurled through the air at a nearby tree. Flipping around in preparation for his landing, Sasuke began a series of rapid hand seals, yet no sooner had his feet touched the ground than Itachi's ninja-to plunge through his shoulder and pinned him against the trunk of a tree with such force that he slumped dazed from where his head impacted the trunk.

"You are my brother," Itachi intoned calmly, gazing at his now dazed brother "and for my sake I will spare your life again."

"You're more powerful than the last time Itachi." Madara said, drawing the man's attention back to him. He had meant to sneak Sasuke out of the battlefield when the fight started, but decided against it as a new plan formed in his mind. Seeing Itachi stare and the lack of Sharingan, Madara grinned pleased that the other had learned his lessons well last time. "So, what brings you to see me?"

"Orders." Itachi answered, shifting his stance to face Madara completely "The Leader decided that both your life and Zetsu's are forfeit for turning against Akatsuki."

"Funny, considering I founded the organization." Madara quipped, affecting an unconcerned facade "Still, how do you plan on killing me? Mangekyo Sharingan techniques are useless against me and I have a century and a half of experience over you."

"You are only a shadow of yourself, restricted and confined to what you see and know. All things have a weakness, every technique some risk or restriction, the nature of the universe imposes such balance even upon gods." Itachi answered closing his eyes as if he were tired "You who were considered the Uchiha God now scramble about like a rat, clinging to life unwilling to accept that your time has passed and your power has broken."

"My my, Itachi-kun." Madara teased, amused and curious as to what Itachi had planned. Not that it mattered, the first instant he could, Madara was going to take over Sasuke's body: with him unconscious it would be easy to not only enter the mind but subdue the brat. "You certainly seem confident in this mysterious 'balance' you've discovered. Why don't you show me?"

Itachi didn't respond, at least not in words, instead his chakra exploded into being. Red chakra that swirled and danced around him before slowly congealing into the incomplete skeletal form of a gigantic figure followed by cardiac skeletal and smooth muscle flowing and oozing over the figure to give it the appearance of a full formed man. The chakra flickered as it slid over the gigantic figure forming heavy armor and a massive shield.

"Susanoo." Madara whispered, impressed at the size and complexity of the creature. This was the first time he had ever seen such a detailed version, but the strain on Itachi who was acting as the medium for the spirit had to be outrageous. Madara could remember the only time he had used the technique, it had been as if every cell in his body was being consumed by the flames of Amaterasu, but still for Madara this would pose no real threat. "I'm impressed Itachi, but as I've already said Mangekyo Sharingan techniques are useless against me."

"Do you believe myself so limited?" Itachi asked blandly, as a third hand sprouted from Susanoo's right forearm, producing a jar of sake from which a massive sword of flickering energy sprouted upward into the larger right hand. Susanoo now armed flicked the weapon to the side and then thrust it toward the stationary Madara.

Madara for his part had to admit that this was new, but he wasn't worried, with his ability no technique could touch him. He had already fixated on Sasuke's chakra signature and at the faintest touch of the sword against his chest began to activate his transportation ability. He wanted to laugh at Itachi and his foolish attempt, but that urge passed as the sword plunged painfully through his torso and Madara realized too late that he couldn't escape the draw of the weapon.

"This is my ultimate attack for a reason." Itachi said, his lips twitching into a faint smirk "The Totsuka no Tsurugi is a sword unlike any other weapon of this world. It has no physical form, and anything that it pierces is unable to escape its ability. The ultimate counter to the Kusanagi that Orochimaru possess and the downfall of a broken god."

"Impossible..." Madara hissed, as he felt the very core of his being assaulted by some unseen pull "I'm immortal...you can't...kill me."

"I never intended to kill you Madara." Itachi responded stepping closer "Totsuka no Tsurugui is the Sword of Sealing, you will be sealed away for all eternity in a state of utter bliss."

"He...heheheeeh..." Madara managed, the pull becoming too much for him to struggle against, his body beginning to dissolve and flow along the blade toward the sake jar. His mind remained however, at least for the moment and he could appreciate the situation as well as the carefully orchestrated plan that Itachi had enacted on him.

As the last of his body began flowing up the blade and without warning he disappeared into darkness, Madara continued to laugh.

* * *

_Nami no Kuni, Region 5..._

If there was one thing Towa hated, it was poor planning, especially when it concerned combat.

Pearl Ridge was a series of interconnected hills where petrified trees ran along the crest that stretched about two miles west to east and served as a more direct route from Region 5 to the Gen'eioka Valley the heart of Region 6. From the apex of this area ran two ridges, one to the northeast and the other northwest, creating a valley at the base of the apex and thus it was here that Kumo had placed its Hill Fort.

The fortifications had been designed to expertly take advantage of the contours of the hills and the terrain of the valley, making it almost impossible for the Konoha/Kiri alliance to gain a foothold in the valley let alone manage to reach the hill itself. From its control of the high-ground Kumo was effectively untouchable, making this whole assault suicidal but one that they could not withdraw from. The Konoha/Kiri alliance needed to secure it from the enemy since the loss of Pearl Ridge would rob Kumo of the route and open up the entire central area of Region 6 to attack and penetration.

Cutting down another Kumo ninja, Towa spun away and cast a worried glance at the others of his team: Bekkou and Inaho were still there, but Shimon lay unmoving in a pile of snow stained red. Jaw clenching, the ANBU swore silently at the loss of his man and wondered at their continued bad luck. He wasn't sure how many of the ten teams were still around, but he knew that few of the Kiri or Konoha teams had reached the base of the hill.

Still at least they had made it this far, though as he ducked beneath the flimsy protection of the fortification he had just liberated to catch his breath, Towa made a silent vow to find out who fucked up when they were gathering intelligence for this mission. It was one thing to underestimate the enemy's numbers, that almost couldn't be helped, but it was entirely another thing to miss the fact that their were Ranton users stationed here. Towa sort of blamed himself as well, he should have suspected something was wrong when he saw those thunder clouds once Kumo realized they were under siege.

He had studied the Ranton technique in ANBU, he knew what it was capable of and he knew that thunder clouds were part of their hidden ultimate technique. But Towa had kept silent because clouds had failed to register as a threat, and in the end that had cost Yajirobee and the other commanding ninja of the Konoha group their lives. Instinctively his eyes darted to the large smouldering crater where the command group had been positioned, and grimaced taking a cold comfort in the fact that the resulting shock wave had damaged a lot of the fortifications that lined the valley.

It was also cold comfort that the only casualties from that particular attack were the command staff who had been specifically targeted, but with the loss it would prove more devastating than if it had been targeted at the whole of the allied forces in general. Registering a sudden increase in heat surrounding him, Towa darted from his position as a bolt of lightning struck his previous location, followed by the sharp crack of superheated air. Skidding to a halt, Towa channeled chakra to the tanto he was holding and swept it outward, unleashing a crescent-shaped wave of red chakra.

The Kumo ninja that had ventured down was dead a second later but before the body even hit the ground, Towa was on the move again.

A scream from behind set his teeth on edge, but he didn't turn since he could do nothing about the man dying behind him. Cutting down another Kumo ninja that had opted to get closer for hand to hand, Towa tuned his radio to his teams personal frequency "Check in."

"Inaho here." came the static filled response "We lost Bekkou."

"Damn it." Towa muttered, ducking behind another wall. "What's your status?"

"Wounded, but I'm not dead yet. What about the others?"

"Don't know, lost visual on the other teams." Towa answered, gritting his teeth as the air cracked with thunder nearby. A second later he was greeted with the sight of two Kumo ninja landing in front of his position. Towa clenched his fist around the bladeless tanto and prepared for the coming assault, but was saved at the last minute by a green blur: The Kumo ninja on the left had just started a hand seal when a jump spinning kick connected with the side of his head sending him rocketing away.

Landing, Towa's savior crouched low and then shot toward the other Kumo ninja just as they were beginning to pivot to face the new attacker. The sound of breaking ribs was audible as the green blur slammed a furious combo of punches into the enemy, followed by an upward elbow to the chin that launched the man into the air. Towa stared as his rescuer paused to flash him a bright smile revealing them to be Rock Lee, Tokubetsu Jōnin, student of Maito Gai and heir to one of the most powerful hidden styles of Taijutsu that Konoha had.

Who also happened to be one of a few notable Konoha ninja that had went missing during the Battle of Lake Tenjin.

"Yosh, are you ok?" Lee asked, kneeling for a moment before the sound of thunder filled the air. A second later Lee was gone and a lightning bolt struck his previous location, eyes wide Towa moved from his shelter and watched in mute amazement as Lee rushed his attacker, dodging lightning bolts as he went.

"Inaho, standby for new orders." Towa said, grinning despite the aches and pain he was feeling.

* * *

Mimura hit the ground with a flare of pain and a spray of earth, exhaling sharply as he released his _'Katon __Goukakyuu no Jutsu'_ sending a massive ball of flames at his current enemy. Scrambling to his feet, the Konoha Jōnin had just enough time to register that the Kumo ninja had escaped the attack before Mimura was forced to dodge a wave of crackling lightning racing toward him. Sadly his reflexs were not entirely up to the task and a few bolts of the lightning wave grazed him, numbing his arm and leg.

Stumbling as he fought to keep his vertical base, Mimura hastily produced a kunai eying the Kumo ninja: the other man was taller, bulkier and at least ten years younger than him. Spinning the kunai around to hold it point down, Mimura braced for the final clash between them and wondered if his experience would get him out of this situation. The Kumo ninja grinned and then pulling his own bladed weapon charged head long at Mimura.

Mimura braced for the exchange as best he could with only one good arm, when he registered a blur of purple and black slamming into the ground before him revealing Yamanaka Ino. Simultaneously to Mimura recognizing the figure the ground exploded from the sword that had struck it, forcing the Kumo ninja to break off his charge and stumble out of the path. Gaping, Mimura watched as the young Kunoichi lunged, a crackling blade of lightning plunging for the enemy's chest while pulling her other sword free from the earth in the process.

The Kumo ninja dodged the lunge, grinning cockily, a split second before the other arm blurred forward with a speed that escaped the eye. Ino spun as her sword completed its swing, pivoted and swung it back with just as much velocity as before. The Kumo ninja blinked, moved as if to attack before sliding apart in three different directions as gouts of blood and gore stained snow and rained down on the woman.

Mimura stared in stunned disbelief at the display and when she turned, her face blank of emotion, Mimura understood. Yamanaka Ino was ANBU. Just as quickly as he had realized that fact, he forced himself to forget it, ANBU were supposed to be the unknown protectors of Konoha.

"Yamanaka-san," Mimura greeted as she reached him, hanging the now empty hilt on the loop at her waist "I take it you're not alone?"

"No." Ino said, hand glowing green as she touched his bleeding arm. "Where's the rest of your team?"

"Scattered." Mimura spat, using the brief respite to take stock of the situation. He couldn't spot Hayase or Kotetsu, he had even lost track of Kouta: he could see flashes of ninjutsu from the other Konoha team just further ahead and on the left flank, but they were too far away to see in person. "This whole thing fell apart too quickly, and my radio was damaged."

"So we've gathered." Ino responded, her tone flat as she withdrew her hand. "We'll have to find them before the pull out. I stopped the bleeding, but it's going to be numb for a while."

"We're pulling back?" Mimura asked, startled both by the fact that he had been bleeding and the fact that younger ninja rarely, if ever, admitted the need to pull back from a fight.

"Orders." Ino answered, stepping back before she hefted the hilt causing a blade of lightning to crackle to life. "We're stemming the loss of life."

"Roger." Mimura agreed, not pressing for more details.

* * *

Chōjūrō and Hisame threaded their way through the valley fortifications as best they could, well Hisame did at least. Chōjūrō was making it a point to tear into anything that got in his way, reminding her of the fact that while he might come across as a nervous young boy he was a cold blooded killer just like any other member of Kiri's Seven Swordsmen. Also, just like any other member, Chōjūrō got worse the longer he went without killing something.

Water whip redirecting the arm of a Kumo ninja that had been in the process of launching a kunai, Hisame decided to let the boy go nuts. His blood lust was slowing her down and this whole operation needed to be done fast and quick. Tugging on the water whip she jerked the Kumo ninja forward, then twisted hurling them aside as she released the technique so that they would fly free and she could escape.

"Have fun!" Hisame shouted over her shoulder at Chōjūrō who was gleefully fighting a Kumo Jōnin, and took off on her own. Without Chōjūrō she covered ground quicker, heading for the group she judged to be the lead team for the Kiri group. Nearing her goal, she unexpectedly came under fire from two directions: several kunai crackling with lightning from the right and a lunging Kumo ninja brandishing a twisted sword of lighting from the left.

Hismae countered quickly by jack-knifing her body so that she hit the ground while creating a Mizu Bunshin to take her place. The Mizu Bunshin absorbed the crackling kunai, exploding into a spray of water as Hismae rolled in backwards into a crouch. Hand stretching out, she gathered the stray water around her hand into a whip of water, and snapped it out just in time to deflect the arm of the Kumo ninja that had been charging her.

Jumping back, she snapped her whip of water rapidly, holding the man at bay desperately trying to find an opening. Focused as she was, Hisame almost didn't register the second Kumo ninja but her reaction time made up for the lapse in attention. Dodging the lightning wolf that had been hurtling toward her, the Kiri Kunoichi swished her wrist and released her hold on the water whip causing the tightly bound water to separated into a fine spray of mist: which was when she formed three rapid hand seals and activated a ninjutsu that condensed the spray into somewhat larger drops of water and sent them flying through the air in a wide spread not unlike shrapnel being released from an explosion.

Panting, Hisame looked around only to find her second attacker too close for her to counter and she wondered how he had gotten into that position. Thankfully she was saved from immediate death when a water whip curled around his neck from behind and jerked him off his feet snapping his neck in the process. Blinking in surprise she took in her rescuer and felt relief at seeing the man responsible for bringing her into Kiri after she had defected from Ame.

"Tsurugi!" Hismae said, moving to join the man while she had the chance, noting that his beard looked bushier and the way the scar over his eye seemed to stand out.

"Hismae." Tsurugi returned, glancing around trying to identify some unseen danger "I knew a storm couldn't kill you."

"Got washed up behind enemy lines with Chōjūrō," Hisame explained quickly "met up with some Konoha ninja who were in the same boat. Which is why we're even here at the moment, a defecting Kumo Jōnin told us about this route."

"Ok." Tsurugi said distractedly before he shoved her aside and released a 'Suiton: Mizuappa' nailing an approaching Kumo ninja with a jet of water from his mouth.

"We're organizing a retreat." Hismae said, creating her own whip of water in preparation for defending herself.

"We can't pull back." Tsurugi said curtly, gazing at their surroundings warily "If we take Pearl Ridge, we'll not only have a dominant hilltop position and a strategic transportation route into Region 6, but we'll be able to cut off Kumo supplies and reinforcements to the central area of the Region. Pulling out now will jeopardize the chances of retaking the Region."

"You better explain that to Uzumaki then." Hisame said, shaking her head "I'm just relaying his orders."

* * *

Nii Yugito was more than aware of the various emotions swirling in her chest: Love, hate, fear, hope, and despair. All of them were caused in some way by the man standing at her side, arms crossed as he studied the battle for the hill fort. She loved Naruto, she hated him because he was unashamedly in love with another woman, she hoped for a brighter future because of his friendship and she despaired because he would never be hers.

"I know what that what's-his-name, Tsugrui said, but I can't see how to take this damn thing." Naruto said sourly, glancing at her "Any ideas Yugito-chan?"

"Maybe." Yugito answered, masking the joy she felt at hearing him call her that. Kami was she pathetic. Taking one last glance at the hill fort she smiled grimly and then crouched, sketching out the pattern she now knew they had to be using. "This is actually a fairly standard hill fort, at least for Iwa. Kumo has only recently adopted the layout, the earthen walls and ditches not only follow the contours of the hill itself but intersect something like a maze. Notice that the defensive walls gradually get taller the higher you get on the hill, the effect is that from the base it's taken as a trick of perspective."

Looking up she smiled at him while tapping a finger on a blank space in the layout she had sketched in the dirt. "See this? It's a false gate, leads into a specially designed slope that'll just loop you around probably to another hill. The main gate to the fort at the top of the hill is hidden behind a false rampart located to the east of it. It'll be watched like a hawk."

"Talk about complicated." Naruto muttered, offering her a faint smile before turning his attention back to the layout "So what else?"

"The fort itself isn't a push over. They'll have flattened the summit and surrounded it with a circular stone-lined inner wall, about twelve feet thick, and a stone-lined ditch probably about thirty feet wide and five feet deep. More stone lined walls will make up the way to the central building and that'll be where most of the leaders of the base are. They'll probably have a 'Cloud Pond' as they call it, which is an artificially created pond used to provide them water."

"Wonderful, so I can't use a toad to just pop in." Naruto groused. "Anything else?"

"The Ranton user." Yugito said, frowning as she looked at the hill again "he'll be based at the summit since it provides the best location for their techniques."

"Hey, how come I've never encountered one of these Ranton users before?" Naruto suddenly asked, face scowling in thought.

"Ranton users are extremely rare, the clan was mostly wiped out during the Third Shinobi War." Yugito answered "Which means even if you do get that far you'll have to face the Ranton user and the members of the Jinkourai Clan they'll have as backup."

"Joy."

"Naruto, this _is_ a pointless battle." Yugito suddenly offered, then at his look continued "we don't need to take this hill. I know what they said, but Naruto it's not going to help the overall war. It'd be better to pull back and fortify a location we control so that they can't use this path as a way to get behind our lines."

"I want to agree." Naruto admitted, shaking his head "but I can't just pull out now, everyone blindly put me in command and I've got to be sure."

"Naruto-kun _**you**_ took command, it's as simple as that." Yugito countered shaking her head, realizing the doubt creeping into his mind and reaching out touching his cheek tentatively, unsure if the contact was allowed. When he didn't knock her hand aside or pull away she had to stop her heart from exploding in her chest from delight. "I can't speak for the others, but whatever you decide and wherever you go, I **will** follow without question. So you're in charge and you need to decide what the plan is going to be."

"Thanks." Naruto said and stood, closing his eyes and scowling in thought.

Yugito remained crouched there, watching him intently, amazed by him and his willingness not to ask her for the most obvious solution. If she simply pulled on the chakra of the Nibi, she could take out the hill with one blast. But he wasn't willing to let her do that, not willing to use her like some weapon that had no feelings or thoughts of her own. Still it hurt her to see him struggle so and she sighed standing as well "Naruto-kun. I can take out the hilltop, pull the men back and I'll do it."

"No." Naruto said almost immediately, head snapping around to stare at her fiercely "Yugito-chan, I'd only ask you for that if I had no other choice."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered, smirking "Besides, I think I got the answer to the situation."

"Which is?" Yugito asked, curious and touched at the fact that he would 'ask her' instead of 'use her'.

"Something Ero-sennin told me once 'the fog of battle can blind even the best Shinobi'." Naruto explained as if that answered her question, but he turned away and touching the ear piece started speaking softly to the teams attacking the hill fort.

Yugito raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms and wondered what insanity he was about to unleash.

* * *

_Hi no Kuni, Central Region..._

It was the sensation of sweat trickling down the sides of his face and pooling on his upper lip that brought him back to consciousness. To make matters worse his body was positioned uncomfortably, the tiniest shift sent a lance of pain radiating outward from his shoulder and through his chest and neck. His eyes snapped open then, searching for the cause and found a ninja-to buried up to the hilt in his shoulder.

Sasuke grimaced considering the situation and trying to remember why exactly he had a ninja-to pinning him against what felt like a tree. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and let it out before trying to reclaim the memories that were currently escaping him. They came slowly, like thick oil oozing through a tube: Travelling with Madara, Itachi appearing out of nowhere and his own stupid, rage induced headlong charge at his elder brother.

Opening his eyes once more, Sasuke growled low and with his free hand grasped the hilt of the sword and yanked it out sending a fresh wave of pain through him. Dropping the weapon, panting from the pain Sasuke reached back up and used the only medical technique he had ever copied to stop the flow of blood and heal the wound. Redundant considering the numerous medical procedures that Kabuto, Sakura and Orochimaru had performed to ensure that his body would be insanely resilient, but Sasuke didn't want to waste the time for the experiments to handle the damage.

His stomach rolled and Sasuke breathed through it, determined not to throw up. After several deep breaths, he started taking inventory of his current condition: high fever, a headache, muscle aches, nausea and chills. The word Poison flashed through his mind and instinctively his hand darted to the discarded ninja-to which had belonged to Itachi and Sasuke felt a wave of humiliation roll over him.

It was common for ANBU swords to be poisoned and since this was Itachis' ninja-to, Sasuke could guess at the two most likely poisons. The first would be cyanogenic glysoside commonly found in the seeds of apples and other fruits, while the other would be from the Horse-chestnut plant: the first took large amounts to actually be deadly while the other caused nausea, muscles twitches and sometimes paralysis.

Using the ninja-to for support, Sasuke regained a vertical base and began trying to get his bearings. He noted belatedly that Madara was missing, but that didn't overly surprise Sasuke considering the man had been facing Itachi alone and in an obviously weakened condition. Still as Sasuke took stock of his surroundings, he was mildly alarmed to note the way his limbs were trembling and his labored breathing, signaling his body was still struggling against the poison in his system.

He needed to figure out what he was going to do, well he needed to track down Itachi obviously and he definitely needed to learn from this encounter. Sasuke hadn't paused to think, his emotions had simply overwhelmed common sense and the plans he had laid out for his eventual encounter with Itachi. If that happened again, Sasuke had no delusions that it would lead to anything other than an immediate death.

Of course, that raised the question of why exactly Itachi had spared him this time: could Madara have put up enough of a fight that Itachi had simply been too weak to risk finishing Sasuke? Or was there some deeper reason, something beyond the cryptic 'because you wish to be stronger than me' Itachi had intoned shortly after slaughtering their clan. His mind was wandering and he knew that getting distracted was not good, Sasuke needed to find someplace safe to recover and get his thoughts in order.

The Uchiha hideout seemed as good a place as any Sasuke decided, starting in the direction he remembered it being. At least until he registered the presence of four ninja, ones that had not been there a second ago. Stopping abruptly, he focused on the intruders and nearly swore out loud: black clothing, armor and animal mask's declared the four ANBU.

Just what he needed.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you are an A-Rank Missing Ninja from Konoha." The man wearing a Bear mask intoned, as the others fanned out slightly "You are hereby ordered to stand down and surrender: Do not move. Do not take any hostile action otherwise we will be forced to use lethal force."

Sasuke launched into a counter attack faster than anyone could react by hurling Itachi's ninja-to at the man, forcing the ANBU to move to the side. Sasuke shot forward and whipped a round-kick across the man's face shattering his mask even as he sent Bear sailing away. Sasuke didn't waste a second as he exploded onto the balls of his feet hurtling toward the second nearest ANBU: Bird reacted fast, blocking a side-kick but was unprepared for when Sasuke slipped his counter punch and spun around slamming an elbow into his neck and then a punch to the spine that sent Bird sailing through the air.

A second later the ground lurched under his feet and the world began to spin, this time it had nothing to do with his body fighting the poison still in his system. Sasuke knew this technique 'Doton: Retsudo Tensho', it would cause the ground surrounding him to spiral inwards burying him alive. At least that was the intent, but Sasuke took advantage of the weakness it had in an open area by leaping into the air with the grace of a jungle cat.

Airborne, Sasuke flung his hand forward activating the Sen'eijashu ejecting snakes from around his arm, sending them hurtling to the attacking ANBU wearing a Cat Mask. Cat dodged the first two, but was snared around the throat and waist by the others. Using his own body as a counter weight, Sasuke forced caused his body to jackknife pulling the ANBU into the air and then sent him sailing into a tree.

Releasing the snakes, Sasuke spun his body around at the last moment and hit the ground where the ANBU had been. Panting, he felt his limbs trembling from the exertion and from its efforts at fighting the poison. Sasuke lost his balance a moment later as the earth trembled and then shifted as large slabs of earth began shift upward, creating what appeared to be giant jaws of a mouth attempting to swallow him.

Sharingan spinning to life he leaped to the side and pushing off at an angle hit the second slab and pushed off again climbing higher and higher trying to escape the technique, while dodging the various falling debris. Sasuke realized almost immediately that he wasn't going to actually escape, not unless he took out the person controlling the technique, not that he could see them which meant he was going to have to do something _drastic_.

Coming to an abrupt halt he took a deep breath and gathered his chakra before concentrating it to his hand which began to crackle and chirp as lightning formed. A second later he released the pent up lightning and it exploded outward, creating a lightning storm that shattered the earthen prison. As the lightning twisted and molded together creating massive pillars that arched out and struck at random points, Sasuke used the debris to carry him to the safety of a nearby tree.

As the lightning storm began to fizzle away, Sasuke spotted an ANBU scurrying away from the area and smirked. Shaping the left over lightning chakra surrounding his hand he made a jabbing motion and a sent a spear of lightning through their upper back and into the ground before them. Releasing the Chidori Eisō, allowing the body to fall lifelessly to the ground, Sasuke turned his attention to the remaining ANBU.

He spotted Cat almost immediately, the man was holding himself up by leaning against a tree. The now maskless ANBU was glaring up at Sasuke from the top of an area of up churned earth that should have been Sasuke's prison. Sasuke grimaced for a moment but then ignored the pain racing through his body but realized belatedly that he had lost track of the maskless ANBU: not the best thing to have happen.

Not that he needed to worry; his eyes didn't have to see the man to register the jump kick hurtling at him from behind. Stupid, since as soon as the man left his feet he'd committed all his momentum to one direction. Dropping forward Sasuke used the branch he was on to swing down, around and then back up as the maskless ANBU sailed harmlessly through the air before landing on the branch across from Sasuke.

A second maskless ANBU made a surprise appearance by dropping from the branches overhead in an attempt at catching Sasuke by surprise, but the Uchiha managed a hop-step to avoid the attack and then pivoted slamming the heel of his foot into its chest causing it to disappear in a cloud of smoke. Kage Bunshin banished, Sasuke turned back to the original who had taken advantage of Sasuke's momentary distraction and was seconds away from plunging a ninja-to into Sasuke.

Sharingan swirling, Sasuke calmly deflected the attack and stepping backwards dropped to the ground with the man in pursuit. The maskless ANBU seemed to be gritting his teeth as he attacked relentlessly with vicious slashes, punches and kicks: Sasuke on the other hand blocked and dodged each of them calmly looking for an opening. Suddenly the maskless ANBU made a false slash that turned into a thrust and Sasuke struck.

He deflected the swing turned stab to the right with his left hand and spinning wrenched the ninja-to from the man's grasp, driving a right elbow into the man's shoulders sending him stumbling forward. A second later Sasuke finished the spin and drove his newly acquired sword into the man's spine while channeling lightning along its length. Charring flesh filled the air; Sasuke pulled the blade clear of the body and kicked the body aside before whipping around to start at the only remaining ANBU.

Cat was finishing the 'dog' hand seal and exhaled sharply, launching several spheres of wind that came hurtling toward him. Sasuke's Sharingan swirled rapidly as it recorded the ninjutsu, cataloging it as a wind based technique. Not a chakra type he could use very well, but still it might prove handy some day and Sasuke didn't mind, anything to kill Itachi after all.

Flipping the ninja-to around into a reverse grip Sasuke used his hands to form the tiger hand seal, converting a large portion of his chakra to fire, compressing it as he did. A second later he exhaled sharply, releasing a massive dragon shaped fireball that roared into the world feeding off the wind spheres before it struck its target incinerating the last ANBU and several trees nearby covering the smell of charred flesh with smoked timber.

Sasuke's world slid in and out of focus before he collapsed to his knees, Sharingan fading and gasping for air as a cold chill swept over him. He'd used up a lot of chakra and his body was strained from fighting off the poison. He might be free and alive, but at the moment he was greatly weakened and if any other ANBU showed up it wouldn't be too hard for them to overcome him, this was not the position he needed to be in at the moment.

Using his freshly baptized ninja-to, Sasuke got back to his feet and set off in the direction of the Uchiha stronghold. He could hold up there and wait for his body to finish fighting off the poison, and after that he could figure out what to do about Itachi.

* * *

AN:

It's been over a year, last update was in April 2011. That's a long time to go silent and it was never my intention in the fist place, but things happen. I could of course, go into all the details, but I doubt many of you would honestly care.

To be fair, I perfectly understand.

I can only hope that you enjoy the story as I see this through to the end.

The next update should -barring something unforseen happening- occur Jan. 10th 2013.

Sincertly,

Geor-sama

A Neko-shipper to the bitter end.


	42. Chapter 39: Pearl Ridge: Redux

**Naruto:** Shinobi Wars  
Chapter 39:  
_-Pearl Ridge: Redux-_  
By Geor-sama

* * *

_Nami no Kuni, Pearl Ridge, Kumo controlled Hilltop Fortress..._

The trees of the small forest creaked in the winter twilight as a0 thick mist coiled and spread, veiling the lightly forested valley. Flittering from tree to tree, taking roundabout paths, using the cover of the thick fog Naruto moved toward the lower fortifications of the hill. The Konoha/Kiri teams had already pulled back, while the Kiri created mist hopefully convinced the Kumo forces that they were retreating; which they were at least temporarily, though it had been a fight to get the Kiri forces to agree.

Even the Konoha groups had been less than thrilled, and honestly Naruto wasn't thrilled with the plan he had came up with either - still the fact remained that they **needed** to take this hill. Therefore, no matter how much he was against this idea, or how much he thought people had their priorities skewered, he would see it through. Besides, part of him reasoned that after all those who had given their lives on this battlefield, retreating would be a slap in the face to their memory's and sacrifice.

Finally, after what felt like forever of stumbling and groping through the gray void that the fog had created, Naruto reached the first barricade. Slipping over it, he discovered the ground littered with dead samurai and weapons - Kumo had begun pulling their forces higher up the path, leaving the fog shrouded path to the night. Crouching low, Naruto hurried along the upward winding path passing a mournful group of four corpses and offered a silent apology for each one as he slipped passed the dead men, and as he reached a dead Kumo ninja, he hesitated before offering another before continuing on his path.

As he ascended, Naruto got the distinct impression that he was an invader of an entirely different sort: this was hollowed land, owned by dead men. He hurried on a little apprehensive that the dead might rise against him, since as a Jinchūriki weird crap happened frequently around them. A second later, he came across what he was hoping to find, namely a group of wounded men stumbling along; trusting to his disguise of 'borrowed' samurai armor, mud and a bloody bandage around his throat, he moved to join them.

These men did not even notice him loom out of the fog joining their procession, to busy trying to keep their own self-made bandages in place.

The man just ahead of Naruto was laughing hysterically as he moved along; arm slung around his neighbors shoulders, the stump where his left leg had been leaking blood even through the bandage. Another further ahead had his head wrapped in a thick bandage and singing in high and quavering voice made up of merriment and agony: those nearest to the man limped and staggered to the tune. The one immediately to Naruto's left was ashen and stalked along, his lips curled in hard lines and teeth clenched, hands bloody from where he pressed both against his stomach as if trying to hold the content inside, eyes burning as they stared into the unknown of death.

A little further along, the singing man and the stalker collapsed, thinning the group of shambling wounded. A little after that those that remained came across medics who had set up a way station and an underlying difference between the villages that he had been unaware of struck Naruto. In Konoha medics were almost standard to each team and if that couldn't be done, then the instant the fighting had stopped Konoha medics swarmed out of their safety going to the dying that needed them, yet in Kumo they set up way stations and waited for the injured to make it back to them.

As the medics approached each wounded ninja, some holding clipboards while others started treatment Naruto noted there were other more hidden ninja present. They stood in strategic spots, so they would go unnoticed, and were observing everyone quite intently. Sensor specialist, Naruto decided with a mental grimace, as a medic with a clipboard ambled up to him.

"Name?"

"Ayaui." Naruto managed with a badly garbled voice, then at the medics look reached up to touched the bandage "kunai nicked me, I cauterized it."

"Not the best option," the medic said with a frown as he jotted something down "but it works. We've got a lot of worse off here so you can keep going, but make sure you check in at the field hospital."

Naruto grunted in acknowledgement and then shuffled on, forcing his eyes not to look at any of the semi-hidden ninja, even as the medic moved onto the next person. He did not quite dare breathe a sigh of relief as he managed to pass the hidden checkpoint, but he pressed on with his mission. Unfortunately this was hampered by the fact that when he reached the other side of the makeshift aide station, a teen covered with muck and blood with an arm hanging limply at his sides, shuffled away from his own clipboard medic to join Naruto.

They walked in silence for a while, the teen lost in his own world and Naruto expecting an ambush at any moment. It was not until they were almost to the secret entrance the teen finally spoke. "Was a pretty good fight wasn't it?"

"What?" Naruto asked, only just remembering to keep his voice gravel like.

"Was pretty good fight, wasn't it?" The other repeated, smiling weakly "It was my first real fight since I graduated the academy, but I thought it went well."

"Genin?" Naruto grunted, not having to fake his surprise.

"Yeah." The younger teen said, his tone leaving Naruto little doubt that the kid had lost his whole team in the fighting.

"Huh," Naruto said, allowing the conversation lapse.

"I wonder why they pulled back." The Genin continued after a moment, eyes drifting to the thick fog bank below "I heard someone say they were going to use the fog to sneak attack us but we have the high ground right. And even if they do, our men are stationed down there and we've got Darui-sama up above, ready to use his Ranton techniques if we need him to."

"Darui-sama?"

"Yeah, he's awesome..." The Genin added before he began to ramble on about the other ninja and Naruto made it a point to use every trick Ero-sennin had ever taught him to control the conversation. He had done the same to that kunoichi in Taki, but this time there was more at stake so Naruto made damn sure not to miss a single thing. The bulk of his plan was sketchy, at least as far as his role in it, so he needed all the information he could get and it was sounding like he would need to make it a point to take out this Darui.

Still, that did leave Naruto with the problem killing his current companion, he had taken plenty of lives and would take many more, but he could not seem to shake the discomfort. Was it right to kill the wounded, and thus defenseless people, just because they were present? That would be something Orochimaru would do...Naruto could not see any of the Hokage's doing it - suddenly he had a sour taste in his mouth.

As they entered the hidden path leading inside the fort, Naruto made a snap decision: "I'm sorry."

The Genin started to respond, but Naruto struck with all the speed of a fox on a rabbit; his left arm fired a sharp elbow to the man's cheek, and then pivoting Naruto delivered a scooping palm-heel with his right hand into the teen's jaw knocking him out and sending him flipping in the air before landing on his stomach. Naruto took a moment to check the tunnel to ensure that nobody was coming before discarding his disguise and then dragged the unconscious Genin to the side. After that, Naruto adopted a quick Henge to ensure that he could reach his target location unnoticed and turning he continued at a brisk pace.

Emerging from the tunnel, he paused, glancing around at the peaceful enemy base and realized that they honestly thought they were untouchable - he grinned in a very predatory fashion.

Eying the guards on the walls, whose attention was focused on the distant but potential threat below them, Naruto moved as inconspicuously as he could, making it appear that the was moving toward either the main command building or the field hospital. At least until he reached the center of the compound, when he came to an abrupt stop, trying to decide on which method he wanted to use to accomplish this part of his plan: Using the Kyūbi would be the easiest route to his goal, but handling that much power would be overkill - at least for this.

So instead he settled on the '_Jinrai no Jutsu'_ a D-rank technique that Yugito had taught him years ago during his training trip, though since he was a wind user it was both difficult to learn and used more chakra than normal. Still it remained one of his favorite methods for garnering attention and that was **exactly** what he wanted. Allowing his disguise to crumble he focused the needed chakra into his hands, and then brought them together with every ounce of authority and force he could muster, filling the compound with an almost earsplitting clap of thunder.

Seeing that he had all eyes upon him he adopted a heroic pose, hands on his hips and chin held high as he addressed his startled audience:

"Behold, it is I, Konoha's Number One Prankster, Hero and the Next Hokage!" At this, he flashed them an impossibly wide grin. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

Ino glanced at the blue-haired young man currently crouching at her side, forearms resting on either thigh, heedless of the large sword he carried slung across his back. It still surprised Ino that such a reserved looking young man such as Chōjūrō could actually be one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, though she had seen firsthand just how bloodthirsty he could be. Perhaps it was the fact that she had fought two other members of that group, both now dead in no small part to her efforts and neither of them had been that young.

Thankfully, Chōjūrō had shown no more interest in her than he had anyone else that wield a sword – she just prayed that he wouldn't have a sudden change of heart and try to avenge his fallen comrades during the looming battle.

"It'll work." Ino assured him at last, slipping the hilt of Raijin-ken from the loop at her waist, attention returning to the battle that lay ahead. Ino's team along with the rest of the platoon Naruto had left her in command of held the dubious honor of a frontal assault, especially since their role existed as more distraction than an actually assault. The real attack of the Konoha/Kiri alliance would be attacking from _**within**_ and from **above** the Kumo controlled fort – the Konoha forces involved had been only slight more comfortable with Naruto's plans than the Kiri forces.

Ino had flat out refused to join either group.

"Ready?" Chōjūrō asked, shifting his weight while pulling his own blade from across his back as they reached the edge of the fog.

"As ready as I'm ever going to be, I suppose." Ino said, studying the fortifications, she could see through the thickening fog. They had not tripped any alarms so far, which was good on several fronts – not the least of which would be the element of surprise. "Chōjūrō-san spread the word that once we start this assault we keep pushing forward. If someone falls behind, or get's wrapped up in a heavy fight everyone else keeps going. If we falter for a second they can easily force us into retreat."

"Understood." Chōjūrō said, relaying her message through the radio.

"Mhmm, can you still see Yugito and her squad?" Ino asked a nearby Hyūga, whose name escaped her at the moment.

"No, she's out of my range."

"Alright, then get ready." Ino grumbled, wishing that Naruto had not allowed the other woman to take her own squad and leave. Yugito had convinced him that she could find some hidden path in that would lead to the fort, an escape route of course, but Ino doubted they would find it or at least that they would find it in time to be useful. Dismissing thoughts of Yugito and the whole situation from her head, Ino focused on the only thing that mattered, Naruto had said that Yugito had maybe ten minutes before he was in place to start the assault.

So if the other woman was out of sight, then those ten minutes were just about up…and right on cue came the sound of distant thunder.

"Hold on Naruto, I'll be there soon." Ino whispered softly as fingers absently twitching against the hilt of both her blades. She took some comfort in the fact that Naruto was both insanely powerful and had Lee as backup, either one on their own could be considered a force of nature, together they should prove more than enough to handle the inside of the base.

"Shall we?" Chōjūrō asked with a feral grin.

"Move." Ino ordered and with a surge, her group began their assault exploding from the concealing mist and into battle with startled Kumo forces.

* * *

If one were curious as to how ninja reacted to people seemingly appearing from thin air right in their midst, especially a heavily secured fort, you only needed to observe the hilltop fort of Pearl Ridge. The Kumo ninja had naturally been surprised when the blond shinobi appeared from nowhere and announced his presence with an E-ranked lightning ninjutsu; they had even started to move to surround the fool. That was, of course, before they heard his name at which point they all started back tracking with sudden speed.

Which, to be fair, was not an unreasonable reaction considering that Uzumaki Naruto was not only in their bingo books as an S-rank threat but also something of a living boogeyman for them. Kumo command had tried to suppress the stories, but they still spread and everyone knew his habit of collecting Kumo forehead protectors and the horrific things he would do to his victims. Only a truly insane, or powerful, individual would even approach the infamous Konoha shinobi now standing in the middle of their fort.

Darui unfortunately counted as one of the latter, and the sad fact was he could not decide what to make of the young man standing in the middle of the compound, hands on hips and looking unreasonably confident. He looked almost nothing like how the stories described him: Naruto wore orange and black clothes, had wild blond hair three distinct whiskers on each cheek and a Konoha forehead protector displayed proudly on his forehead. He wanted to decry this figure as an imposter, but he knew from the official records of the bingo book that this guy matched the description of Uzumaki Naruto.

This meant that everyone had made the right decision to back off and let Darui confront the blond, because the average shinobi should never willingly attack an S-rank opponent even when they were outnumbered. Registering movement in the corner of his eye, Darui had to hold back his sigh as he realized that Atsui had decided to join him in this confrontation. Why did he have to be partnered with such a hot headed fool and not his more level headed sister Samui, still he would make do with what he hand.

"Leave him to us, you lot keep your attention on the focused outside." Atsui announced, drawing attention to the fact that their defenses had been distracted by Naruto's sudden appearance.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I suppose it was inevitable that you we would meet each other." Darui said, breaking the tense silence, wondering why the Konoha shinobi continued to stand there so passively. "I don't know why you would decide to appear before us now, but we have an obligation to strike you down."

"Heheh, I just wanted to say hi." Naruto offered brightly, before turning slightly serious. "Oi, you're Darui aren't you?"

"I'm flattered," Darui offered, wondering vaguely how the infamous Konoha shinobi had known enough to identify him. "You're pretty brave to enter an enemy stronghold just to say hello, but then you are an S-ranked enemy."

"Hey, that reminds me!" Naruto shouted, fist smashing into his other hand excitedly. "Do I got a cool nickname yet? I asked Karui-chan but she said no."

"Karui?!" Atsui snapped tersely. "What have you done to her?!"

"Ehhh?" Naruto said, giving him a strange look. "I didn't do anything to her, she tried to shove her sword through my kidney...but I reasoned with her."

"Sorry," Darui said, heaving a sigh as he shot the hot headed man a warning look. "But the fact remains we have an obligation to deal with you with extreme prejudice. I know this is a tad dull, but would you mind just surrendering?"

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." Naruto said, before raising a finger "But before we get into the pointless violence I want to introduce you to a friend of mine."

"Like we would let you do that!" Atsui shouted erupting into an unexpected charge until a dark green blur dropped from the sky and directly into his path cutting the charge short. Atsui jumped back as the blur revealed itself a dark-haired young man with a bowl-cut, abnormally large eyebrows, and dressed in a solid green bodysuit with flak vest, orange leg-warmers, and bandaged hands.

"YOSH! Surrender now, for you face the youthful flames of ROCK LEE!" Lee announced, fist held upright, his entire form trembling with intensity that was almost visible.

"You think your hot stuff? You're nothing, I'll show you hot!" Came the equally intense response from Atsui, who proceeded to charge at Lee before unleashing an overhand chop. Lee blocked the attack with a kick to the arm with such force that it re-directed the weapon skyward and left the hot-headed Kumo ninja vulnerable to attack: which came in the form of a spinning side-kick that sent Atsui flying back.

Darui for his part had simple watched with a flat look that did nothing to hide his annoyance, this sort of thing was exactly why he hated working with Atsui.

"I...I didn't think it'd work out like that." Naruto admitted, sounding slightly unsure as the two ninja engaged in a ferocious fight.

"It's a bit dull, but it can't be helped." Darui said heavily before turning his attention back to Naruto, oddly feeling a little conflicted about fighting the other ninja now. "Are you prepared for the 'pointless violence' now?"

"I was born ready!" Naruto shouted and Darui leapt back with a cry of surprise as several dozen orange and black clones into action from seemingly nowhere.

Hands coming together he created a quick hand-seal before his body crackled to life with a burst of Black Lightning, which Darui quickly directed toward the various Kage Bunshin, allowing it to take the rough shape of a black panther. The _'Raiton: Kuropansa'_ made quick work of the various Kage Bunshin, darting from one to the next incinerating each of them, before Darui directed it toward the last spot he had seen the real Naruto standing and found the Konoha ninja unleashing his own ninjutsu.

"_Fūton: Kazeryudan no jutsu!_"

Darui frowned as he saw the dragon made of wind take shape and charge the rampaging panther head on, the two techniques clashed violently before canceling each other out violently. Skidding to a stop from the backlash of the exploding techniques, Darui grimaced wondering at just how much compressed air Naruto had to have placed into that technique; it was the first time Darui had ever heard of anything that could outright stop his 'Raiton: Kuropansa'. Still, something to consider later, he had to deal with Naruto.

Realizing that he had temporarily lost track of his opponent, Darui uncharacteristically swore; but soon enough he learned the location of Naruto. The sound of rushing wind pulled his attention skyward and Darui discovered Naruto descending from overhead while driving a large sphere of chakra ahead of him. Darui lunged to the side desperately escaping the impact zone just as the large Rasengan slammed into the ground creating an impressive crater and fling Naruto clear of the impact zone.

Darui started to form the hand seal for his '_Ranton: Reizā Sākasu'_ but broke it off and instead drew his large folding sword as Naruto crossed the distance with unbelievable speed and lashed out with a pair of trench knives. Their blades clashed with a flurry of sparks, before forcing their respective wielders apart from the impact. Using his sword to stop his slid, Darui shot forward once more, trying to seize the offensive.

Lightning chakra flowing into his sword, Darui slashed at his opponent, only for it to violently clash against a trench knife an off balanced Naruto had used in a hasty block. Without hesitation Darui spun around, using his superior height and weight to make another slash, only for Naruto to block yet again, but the force of the impact drove Naruto back several steps. Darui did not take comfort in that fact since Naruto had wind nature chakra, which was the ultimate counter against his own lightning nature.

Meaning his fight against the other ninja needed to be at long range and involve ninjutsu that Darui could utilize with short hand seals. First though he would need to get some breathing room between them before he could do that - Shifting his pacing, Darui launched into a flurry of powerful slashes and stabs. Naruto quickly gave up on blocking each blow instead preferring to dodge and duck between each slice, blocking only when he had no other option.

Finally, after what seemed like hours but had to be only a few minutes, Darui managed to overpower his opponent and sent Naruto flying across the compound. As the Konoha ninja hit the ground and rolled to a stop, Darui sheathed his blade and formed the hand seal for another 'Raiton: Kuropansa' unleashing yet another black lightning panther. Having regained his feet Naruto reacted leaping away from the panther and hurling both of his trench knives, which seemed to ripple with wind, before shredding their way through the construct of black lightning.

But by the time Naruto's feet touched the ground, Darui had completed the hand seals for the '_Ranton: Reizā Sākasu_' and unleashed it. A bright halo of energy formed around his hands and then burst into a multitude of beams that scattered outward before arcing toward the unprepared enemy. Naruto registered the attack, as expected for someone with his skills, and hastily created a horde of Kage Bunshin using them to dodge and avoid each beam of light that came near him.

As each Kage Bunshin ceased to exist, leaving behind a cloud of smoke, Darui struggled to adjust the remaining beams and zero in on the original. At least it was until Naruto suddenly made a running jump that carried him high into the air, and Darui converged all of the beams on his opponent. Clearly sensing the attack, Naruto used his legs to flip around to face the incoming beams while forming two rapid hand seals before extending his open palms before him.

"_Futon: Byōbu!"_

The energy beams struck the barrier of wind filling the darkening sky with a flare of bright light and an ear-splitting crack of thunder, yet as remarkable as the defense was it had not been absolute. At the last moment, realizing that he could not redirect all of his beams, Darui had focused on a single beam, veering away from Naruto before curving it back around to catch Naruto from behind. The impact drove the blond high into the air before it burst, engulfing the shinobi in a flare of exploding chakra.

At least that was what appeared to happen because instead of a charred corpse hitting the ground, Darui was treated to the sight of nothing. As in there was no body (or even a log to signify a last minute Kawarimi no Jutsu), only the casual cloud of dust that battles always seemed to kick up. Yet even as Darui tried to puzzle out what exactly had occurred, his attention was diverted to the fact that he could hear the sounds of battle echoing from all around him and belated he realized just how odd it was for a fellow Kumo ninja not to try to help during the fight against Naruto.

Pivoting sharply his eyes darted to the walls of the fort, discovering that each and every Kumo ninja was already engaged with a Konoha or Kiri ninja, and it sounded like even the forces located in the fortified trenches out there were engaged in battle as well. How the hell had this happened, it shouldn't have been possible - and then a horrible, sinking sensation filled him as the image of Rock Lee dropping from the sky from seemingly nowhere hit him like a sack of bricks.

Slowly, almost afraid of what he would find, Darui turned his gaze skyward and discovered a dark silhouette of a large bird circling overhead.

"I also used a toad."

Turning in the direction of the voice, Darui discovered Naruto emerging from a ripple of air revealing that he had been hidden behind a '_Meisai Gakure no Jutsu'._

"Everyone not riding Atori up there I had them climb into Gamajun." Naruto explained, holding a hand up to reveal a small toad that waved at Darui before disappearing in a puff of smoke. "Then after I snuck in, I created an advanced level Kage Bunshin to draw your attention while I summoned him from a hiding spot and helped everyone climb out."

"I see." Darui said, frowning, stung to realize at just how thoroughly the enemy had run rings around him. "I know this is probably a stupid question, but why are you telling me this?"

"Because it's awesome!" Naruto chirped brightly, stretching his arms.

"Be that as it may, your forces are still out matched and the ninja outside will be cut down long before they can reach the inside of this base to aide you."

"Ah, yeah," Naruto sighed, grinning sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head "Ino-chan and Yugito-chan pointed that out too. But then Mr. Grouchy the hunter-nin told me something really cool."

Then, as if those words had been some unspoken signal, it started raining.

* * *

Rock Lee did not swear, due more to the fact that Gai had explained how unyouthful swearing was and not to a lack of words. Not that Lee protested or lectured others who found the need to swear, he had done that only once to Tenten and his teammate had verbally torn him apart. But there were times, especially during battles such as the one he was currently engaged in, that Lee experienced a nearly overpowering urge to unleash a fury of swear words that would leave even the most crude of shinobi flabbergasted.

His opponent, a Kumo ninja named Atsui was proving both highly youthful, a serious threat and downright frustrating.

Dodging the gout's of flames that followed in the wake of a powerful slash, Lee darted forward once more to attempt and engage the blond swordsman. He quickly diverted his path as Atsui made a backslash at his feet and the wall of flames that served as his barrier surged back to their formidable height. Sliding to a halt, Lee glared both at the swordsman and the wall of flames, even as sweat trickled down into his eyes due to the oppressive heat of the unrelenting waves.

"Yosh, are you not afraid of harming your comrades?" Lee asked at last, trying to gain some time while he figured out how to bypass the barrier. Honestly though, Lee held little fear for others to join the fight, he could already hear the growing clamor of combat along the upper walls.

"Is it too hot for you?" Atsui countered cockily, adopting a balanced combat stance, the tip of his blade held even with Lee's forehead.

"Yosh, my flames of youth burn bright enough to protect me!" Lee exclaimed, before frowning at his opponent. "But surely you care something for your comrades?"

"Of course I care!" Atsui snapped, sounding affronted. Then he grinned "The fact is, everyone knows to give me a wide berth when I start heating things up."

Realizing that no further conversation would be coming, Lee dodged to the left a split second before Atsui made a sharp downward chop, unleashing a jet of flames that rushed outward. Pivoting from his dodge, Lee dodged yet another torrent of flames before darting into the relative safety of a nearby alcove. Normally such a move would not prove safe during combat, but Atsui seemed intent on staying exactly where he was since apparently he had realized early on that hand to hand with Lee would be fatal.

So far, the only thing Lee could brag about was the fact that he had managed to avoid taking any serious burns or injuries, and that did not sit well with Lee. Every unneeded second Lee took to combat his enemy was one less second he had to help his allies and a very pretty Kiri Kunoichi in particular, but those flames were proving a hazard. The only solid idea Lee had come to would be to drop his ankle weights and attempt a direct charge on those flames, but he could hear Tenten saying just how stupid that idea was which was why he had yet to attempt it.

"Hey, wait a minute! Where did all these other ninja come from?" Atsui started, finally noticing the other battles happening around him.

Eyes widening Lee realized that he had taken too long and his opponent had realized what exactly was going on. Dropping his weights quickly Lee broke cover and charged the distracted Atsui, knowing that if he did not keep the swordsman from abandoning this battle, that he could turn the tide against the Konoha/Kiri forces. Closing the gap with blinding speed, Lee unleashed a wordless cry of youthfulness plunging head long into the dancing flames of the barrier.

He emerged on the other a second later, and delivered a devastating flying kick to a stunned Atsui, sending the swordsman flying. Atsui passed through his own flame barrier and hit the ground with a heavy thud before rolling into a heap – Lee had continued in his wake and jumped higher so that he was descending toward the stricken Kumo ninja with a powerful punch. Atsui managed to roll away at the last moment, and Lee struck the ground with his blow creating a modest impact crater and a radiating series of cracks.

Atsui scrambled to his feet and just barely managed to block an incoming kick with the flat side of his sword, but the impact sent him skidding away. Atsui tried to recover as he came to a stop, but before he could, Lee was attacking yet again. Before long, it became clear that Atsui could do little to block or dodge the blazingly fast blows from Lee, and growing desperate from the brutal onslaught the blond swordsman made a blind lunge for Lee who instinctively darted out of the way.

This proved a mistake as Atsui immediately resumed the offensive, launching a series of vertical arcs of flames before retreating partway up the stairs leading the battlements before stopping. Lee sprung out the path of the flaming arcs easily enough, before coming to a stop, staring up at his battered and winded opponent. It would be easy to get up there, but it would also be dangerous as either path made him an easy target for Atsui, but on the other hand Atsui could not move and any attack he used Lee could easily dodge.

"You thought you were such hot stuff, but it's all over now." Atsui bragged, sword moving to a ready position. "I have the high ground."

"Yosh, you are surely a bright flame of youth!" Lee responded brightly, muscles coiling in preparation for his coming lunge. "But I also burn brightly with the Flames of Youth, do not think this fight has been settled already."

"You want flames? Let me show you just how hot I can burn." Atsui shot back heatedly, the dull red of his fire chakra exploding to searing white "Take this _Kumo Ryu Tsume no Gōryū_!"

Lee's eyes widened as Atsui made a series of furious slashes, unleashing numerous semi-circular chakra blades made of flickering white flames that hurtled toward him. Using all of his new found speed, Lee dodged back and then pivoting raced up a nearby wall before back flipping over several more to avoid the attack. It would not have been possible of course, if Lee had not seen Ino use '_Jiten Eiji_', since both were similar attacks though Ino's lacked the flaming chakra.

It was not perfect of course, one flaming blade came dangerously close to him, and Lee unconsciously reacted with a backhand, batting it away like a softball. This had the unfortunate result of igniting the binding Lee wore on his hand and forearm. Frantically ripping the bindings from his hands and tossing them aside revealed a badly burned hand...but despite the pain of flexing it, Lee discovered that it was still useable.

"Try that again hotshot!" Atsui shouted, unleashing another wave of _'Kumo Ryū Tsume no Go Gōryū'_.

Lee frantically darted through the incoming circular-blades of flaming chakra with all the speed he could muster, preparing to begin opening the Heavenly Gates. He would need to find somewhere secure for the time it would take to start, but he saw nothing immediately available. Thankfully however, no sooner had Lee managed to avoid the last of the deadly attack than it began to rain.

"Rain?" Atsui asked dumbfounded, before snorting and readying his blade. "It'll have to rain a lot harder than this to stop my next technique, _Kumo Ryu Ikari no Homusubi_."

Lee did not even bother moving.

"WHAT?!" Atsui shouted in realization that his attack had failed completely.

"You were a truly youthful opponent." Lee announced sadly in mid-air from a flying leap, drawing the swordsman's stare of disbelieve. A second alter he spun into a '_Konoha Senpuu_', his heel slamming into the face of the Kumo Jōnin. Atsui rocketed away from the impact and slammed into a nearby wall hard enough to smash through it. Landing from his attack Lee stared at the hole and unmoving opponent. "The rain is called _Hijutsu: Kirisame_ and it cancels the chakra in everything it touches."

* * *

The darkening sky was flashing with ninjutstu and the surrounding forest echoed with the muffled sound of combat, making the already dangerous hunt for a hidden path all that more dangerous. A lot of the increased danger came from the searchers being distracted from the surrounding traps with the knowledge of the battle, while even more came from the fact that Nii Yugito was growing increasingly desperate. Every second she spent trying to find the damn path was another second Naruto fought alone, another second that he faced death alone.

Frustration spiking high, her chakra surged and shattered the branch she was pushing off, rocketing Yugito perilously forward at a breakneck speed. It was pure luck that Yugito noticed the tripwire and managed to tuck her legs to avoid setting off the trap, but rather than slow down she continued at an even faster pace. At least she did until her earpiece crackled to life with an unfamiliar voice: "Nii-san, slow down."

For a moment, Yugito considered ignoring the voice but dismissed that impulse and landed on a branch, which groaned under her impact. Turning slightly she glared at the man who was speeding after her, an older goateed Konoha ninja. Yugito fought the urge to frown at the man, struggling to recall his name, Mimura she believed – then her attention shifted to the rest of her squad as they took up positions in the surrounding branches.

Yugito could already imagine what the man was about to say, she imagined that the others would be of the same opinion, not that Yugito could blame them. Still, it stung to know that they would soon reveal their doubt about her capabilities and blame her for leading them away from helping their comrades. Yugito was not entirely sure what she could say about that, other than she knew they had to find the hidden path.

To be honest she was lucky they had followed her so far, and had probably only done so because her entire squad were Konoha ninja and thus held Naruto in high regard.

"Nii-san, I know you are anxious to help our comrades and that you wish to prove yourself." Mimura said softly, casting a wary eye at the flashing sky. "However, rushing blindly ahead will help no one."

"Then what do you suggest?" Yugito asked a bit more heatedly than she meant to, mostly because this was not the reaction she had expected. Mimura did not seem to notice the tone of her voice or her surprise.

"I know it is because you are a former Kumo nin, and not used to working with us, but please remember that Konoha has some of the best trackers in the world." Mimura explained.

"I saw no Inuzaka or Aburame with us." Yugito said, trying to figure out how the man could be so understanding. For that matter, he was giving her the benefit of the doubt – and she knew the others in the squad did not share the sentiment.

"They are our most famous, but not our sole trackers." Mimura said, before addressing the branch immediately overhead. "Hoheto-san."

"Yes?" A serious looking young man with featureless pearl colored eyes said as he dropped to the branch they were standing on. "What do you need Captain Nii, Mimura-san?"

"I need you to scout around, far as you can. We're looking for where the traps are the thickest at." Yugito explained, trying to keep the self-loathing at having forgotten about the Hyūga out of her voice.

"Understood." Hoheto said, his eyes flaring to life with the Byakugan for a moment before the bulging veins around his eyes faded. "I believe I've found it."Twenty degrees to the right, fifty feet head, there appears to be a rough footpath with a numerous traps overhead in the trees."

"That would be it." Yugito said, frowning as she considered the situation. She needed to calm down and use what she knew about both Konoha and Kumo; the two villages differed in their mindsets, as did all shinobi villages, but there were some universal overlap. It could be a false trail of course, one that led them into a larger trap, but she did not think that would be the case here.

Because Konoha and Kumo shared one trait, they prized their bloodlines, but they also differed in that Kumo was only willing to let certain members venture this far from the safety of the village. Therefore, the Ranton user that was at Pearl Ridge could only be Darui and **he** never went anywhere without his former genin teammate Yurui who was a premier trap master and currently ran a skilled ambush team.

"Nii-san?" Mimura asked, drawing her back to the immediate surroundings.

"Sorry, I was thinking about who set this up." Yugito said, before tapping her radio set to address the leaders of the teams. "I want five feet between each team, there will be a lot of traps and they'll be tricky. Team Yurui specializes in traps and ambushes so be extra cautious."

"Hoheto-san, take point." Mimura said a minute later and with confirmation of the orders, they all set off again.

It did not take them long to reach the traps though bypassing them was another story since each trap connected to another trap with three feet between each set of traps. The only odd thing however, was that they were not the most complicated of traps nor the most dangerous; there were just a lot of them. It dragged the thirteen ninja to a much slower and uneven pace, forcing Yugito to stifle the urge to unleash a Spectral Blast and obliterate everything in her way.

"Should we drop to the path below?" Mimura asked as they bypassed the latest series of traps.

"No." Yugito answered shaking her head before the move on to the next "These are standard Yurui style traps, low risk and double layered to create the illusion that the ground is both faster and easier. But that is exactly where the real danger lays."

"You are that sure we are dealing with this Yurui?" Mimura asked softly.

"Yes. The only way I could be convinced otherwise was if Hoheto-san had spotted an area completely clear of traps." Yugito said.

"Excuse me," Hoheto said abruptly cutting across the conversation. "But there are people ahead."

"How many?" Yugito asked, turning her full attention to the Hyūga.

"Three." Hoheto said. "They seem to be waiting for something."

"Description?" Mimura asked intently.

"Standard Kumo flak vests, headbands, no swords." Hoheto said, frowning slightly "From their chakra signatures, they're at least powerful Chūnin, possibly weaker Jōnin."

Yugito scowled at that, but she had a sinking suspicion as to who exactly stood barring their path. "Does one of them have purple hair down the shoulders, two loop earrings per ear and a labret piercing?"

"Yes."

"Nii-san, do you know these men?" Mimura asked, giving her a shrewd look.

"Yeah, that's Yurui and his team." Yugito said. "But why would they be out here now, and not only that, why would they just be standing there?"

"Considering the path, they are most likely disabling the traps that lay ahead while the main units try to hold the line for a retreat." Mimura said thoughtfully. "Uzumaki-sama's plan has pushed the Kumo bastards into retreat."

"Most likely," Yugito agreed, and part of her was happy with that thought. The fighting would soon be over and she could see Naruto again, and she could not wait to see his smile as the realization of this victory hit him. Then she realized what this meant, and her happiness faded to a more practical outlook. "We have to stop the retreat."

"We can't risk it," Mimura countered, shaking his head "Even if we took out these scouts, the others would scatter before we could get closer."

"We can use that." Hoheto said abruptly, and seeing their attention expanded his idea. A single team attacks Team Yurui, while the rest of spread out and place ourselves in a wide arc further along the path. Then when the Kumo teams scatter into the forest, we can ambush them."

"You'll need to break down into two man squads to maximize your field coverage...so I'll handle Yurui's team alone." Yugito said, then at their question looks shrugged. "Kumo still doesn't know I've defected so I have the element of surprise on my side in this fight. Besides, I'm way stronger than any of them, so it won't take long for me to finish up here."

"Very well." Mimura said, inclining his head slightly. "Give us a five minute head start, and then move."

"Right." Yugito confirmed before reaching up to activate her radio and began relaying her orders to the squad. With barely a rustle, the twelve other ninja broke down into their smaller units as they moved off into the surrounding forest in wide arcs. After a minute she set off at a moderate pace, debating on how exactly she should handle this situation; a Spectral Blast would be overkill, as would any form of combat involving the Nibi but it would also be the quickest.

She did not have much in the way of ninjutsu however, not that she honestly needed much beyond the academy basics thanks to her onijutsu 'Shikyo Tacchi'. However, as she had discovered with her battle against Hidan Yugito had been relying on that ability far too much. Remembering the semi-immortal Akatsuki member that she had faced before coming to Nami no Kuni, the former Kumo ninja touched the necklace currently hidden beneath her uniform.

"Jashin, I hope you look favorably on me." Yugito whispered awkwardly, not entirely comfortable with her newfound religion, despite the fact she had experienced the power behind that faith first hand. The only reason she had adopted it as her own though was that it spoke to something deep inside her, like a part of her was waking up after a long sleep. Shaking it off she let her hand fall away from the hidden pendant she wore and instead travelled to her hip pouch, and withdrew a scroll.

Drawing closer to the waiting team, she bit her thumb and smeared the blood across the seal on the scroll while applying chakra, releasing a cloud of smoke and leaving her holding a large red, triple blades scythe with a cable attached to the end. Spinning the rather unique and somewhat cumbersome weapon she held at her side and trailing close to the ground, Yugito picked up her pace and exploded from the tree branches, heading directly toward the startled team below. Nurui was the first to react, but it was not one of surprise or disbelief, instead he sent several shuriken and kunai flying at her.

Yugito deflected the weapons easily and countered by hurling her scythe toward her attacker, only unlike the slower Hidan this time it flew with far greater speed and power. The enemy scattered, one flashing through the hand signs to create a '_Doton: Dory__ū__heki'_. The scythe, struck the earthen barrier hard enough to rend it in half, but it had served the purpose of stopping the weapon. Snarling Yugito used the cable to yank the weapon back to her hand as she landed.

Unfortunately no sooner had her feet touched the ground than a sudden pit seemingly opened up, beginning to draw everything toward it. Eyes widening, Yugito retreated as best she could from the _'Doton: Arijigoku no Jutsu'_ leaping over the loose debris and the trees that were soon uprooted and swept toward the bottomless pit. Spinning her scythe to build momentum Yugito jumped as high and far as she could before launching it at a so far untouched tree; the largest blade found purchase and with a surge of chakra, Yugito pulled herself clear from the attack and landed on the tree.

Safe for the moment she turned her attention to her surroundings, attempting to locate her prey, irritated at the situation. Clearly, Yurui and his team had noticed her approach earlier and had set up their traps accordingly; which meant she would need to be careful, that last attack could have ended with at least a broken leg. A second later she spotted her priority target, Yurui was the better strategist and Kayui the most durable, but Nurui as by far the most persistent and hardest to pin down.

Muscles coiling, Yugito pounced and Nurui registered her approach a second too late; he attempted to move naturally, only for her scythe to whistle through his path forcing him back. Unfortunately, by the time the tall Kumo ninja avoided the attack and shifted directions Yugito had reached him, he brought his hand up instinctively to block her and she grabbed his wrist with her free hand. Nurui was dead before he even had time to register his mistake and Yugito was on the move before his corpse had even started to fall.

She did not get far however, as no sooner had she found Kayui she was suddenly besieged by a pack of wolves made from mud, clearly from the _'Doton: Deido Inuka'_ which was one of Kayui's favored techniques. It did not prove much a deterrence against Yugito since she simply began to swing her triple-bladed scythe destroying the seemingly endless wave of mud wolves. As her blade tore through the last of the wolves, Yugito shot forward as her bloodlust swept over her, heading directly for a startled Kayui.

The large man retreated, forming hand seals as he went, and a moment later several _'Tsuchi Bunshin'_ formed and charged her. They spun and jumped, attempting to rain a storm of taijutsu attacks down upon her, but Yuigto barely paid the cannon fodder attention; her scythe slashed and spun systematically cutting each one down or blocking as needed. As she obliterated the last of the _'Tsuchi Bunshin'_ Yugito turned her attention to Kayui, who had apparently given up trying to lure her into a trap and was instead standing there, kunai in each hand and ready to make his last stand.

At least that was the way it appeared, but Yugito was not about to blindly charge the man since she knew better...and then clearly realizing that she was not coming any closer, **Kayui** charged _her_ before throwing a kunai. Rather than waste time blocking it, Yugito tilted her head to the side allowing it pass by harmlessly, preparing to cut down the reckless man. Then four steps away, Kayui broke off his charge and dodged away from her, just as her hearing picked up the distinctive sound of hissing explosive notes.

Eyes widening Yugito turned her attention to her location, discovering that not only were there four explosive notes arranged around her on the ground, but there were several more covering the surrounding trees. A surge of the Nibi's chakra allowed Yugito jump clear of the exploding trap just in time, and the resulting shockwave only pushed her further away - and the pain of being pelted with the shattered debris didn't even register. Using the weight of her scythe, Yugito altered her trajectory in midair and managed to plant a chakra infused foot on a branch and pushed off at an angle, rocketing to the trunk of another tree.

Landing on its surface, she started to race along the trunk, Regaining her feet she raced up the side of the nearest tree, scythe trailing behind her as she did, and then abruptly she back flipped into a dive as the tree exploded from a bolt of lightning. Pressing her arms tight against her side, scythe rigidly pressed against her the side of her thigh Yugito became perfectly taut. At least until suddenly changed her positioning so that when she hit the ground, she was tucking chin to chest letting her body roll with the momentum of the bone-jarring impact.

A second later she was upright and jumping back to help bleed off the rest of the momentum from her near suicidal dive. Finally skidding to a bumpy halt, Yugito narrowed her now Nibi enhanced eyes, deciding that this was taking too damn long - and since she was already drawing on some of the Nibi's chakra she saw no reason to stop now. Catching motion in the corner of her eye, Yugito dodged to the side avoiding a barrage of lightning infused shuriken that pelted the area she had just been occupying.

Clear of the dozen of deadly projectiles and sliding along the ground in a low crouch, scythe held out at her side and her other hand trailing the ground Yugito charged at her attacker only to see Yurui form the dragon hand seal before pressing his hands against the ground unleashing the _'Raiton: Jibashi'_. A second later a wave of lightning exploded up from beneath her, but unfortunately Yurui could not react to the speed she was currently moving at, and so his technique missed her; before he could even start too fully grasp the situation she was there clawed hand plunged through his torso.

Yanking her arm free, Yugito let the body topple aside, and turned her attention to her surroundings. In the distance, she could hear the continued sound of battle making it clear that while the fort had fell the Kumo ninja had yet to surrender and that was not counting those that were fleeing and had encountered her own squad. Frowning she hefted her scythe, resting across her shoulders, debating on if she should try to find Nurui or leave him and go to aid her Naruto and her new comrades.

Releasing her grasp of Nibi's chakra, Yugito sighed heavily, trying to let her blood lust ebb, before ultimately deciding that she had wasted enough time on this. The longer she took the more likely it became that something bad would happen to Naruto and she needed to be there for him. Still, with one last look at her latest kill Yugito grinned slightly "Praise Jashin indeed." Then remembering Naruto and the battles still raging, departed for the next battlefield.

_...Somewhere, beyond the outer darkness, a dark eternal stirred... _

* * *

AN:

I know this chapter is late, sorry; there were a lot of issues with this chapter, more than I honestly thought there would be.

Basically I wrote this chapter 6 or 7 times, simply because I wasn't satisfied with how any of those version turned out and to be honest, I'm still not happy. Maybe its just my nature and how critical of how I am with anything I write or do - or maybe its because some part of me can tell this sucks and I can't see why. Doesn't matter, I finally got a version of this chapter done and ready for your (hopeful) enjoyment.

As for the 'Yugito as a Jashin follower' idea, to be perfectly honest I had the idea waaaay back, when Temari got killed. I toyed with bringing her back from the dead and yeah, it was a horrible idea. But then I got the mental image of Yugito holding that triple-bladed scythe and it seemed to click...so here we are. I look forward to people telling me just how bad that idea is and that I've ruined the character forever

That being said, no 'Naruto: Shinobi Wars' next month, instead I think I'll update 'Naruto: Eleven'.

Sincerely,  
Geor-sama


End file.
